The Slytherin Mudblood
by Vesperi
Summary: What happens when eleven year old muggle born Chastity Chamberlain is thrown into the world of wizardry? What if she gets put into the one house that will make this the strangest adjustment for her? T Post DH Has some of the old chars come back as profs.
1. It's the End of the World as We Know It

**Hi to everyone who know me already. To new people I hope that you will enjoy my writing.**

**I'm not planning on reading DH. I've already skimmed through the spoilers and know the basic information that I need to know. I didn't enjoy the fifth or sixth books nearly as much as the first four. This is why I am using an original character and placing her into the Harry Potter world.**

**I couldn't bear to use the Harry Potter characters, since I know the outcome of their lives and I would love to use the past generation, but all their exploits seem for nothing since all of them die.**

**So, let's look at Chastity Chamberlain, an eleven year old muggle born, who is about to embark on her greatest adventure…**

**Disclaimer: I am not J. K. Rowling, nor do I claim any rights to her books. I am just writing a story based upon what she has created and put to print. Please don't sue me!**

**Final Note: If you believe that I am making my character too "Mary Sue" or want to criticize me about anything in my writing, please do so. If I find some truths in what you say then I will try to incorporate it in my writing to better myself. Thank you.**

Prologue: The Birth of the Dark Lord and Chastity

_Bone of the father, unknowingly given…_

The Chamberlain family rush to the hospital. The day had finally arrived for them to greet the newest member of their family.

_Flesh of the servant, willingly given…_

Charles Chamberlain holds his wife hand, smiling down at her as they rush off to the delivery ward.

_Blood of the enemy, forcibly taken…_

"Push!"

The Dark Lord shall rise again…

"She's beautiful…" whispers Charles.

"Chastity," murmurs Laetitia. "Her name is Chastity Kathryn Chamberlain."

"Hello, Chastity…" Charles whispers. Unbeknownst to them, their daughter's birth was not the only one of importance on this day. Today, June 24th 1995, was the day that Lord Voldemort returned to the wizard world once again.

But that put no halt in the muggle celebration. They were happy, they were proud, and they were unaware of the effect that the simultaneous births had on their daughter. They were unaware that she gained _magical_ abilities that day. She gained certain powers only an heir of Salazar Slytherin would have.

Chapter 1:It's the End of the World as We Know it

I sit on my swing, curled up with my favorite novel resting on my knees. I stare at the sky, looking as the birds fly by. I return my eyes to the book in my lap and drink in each of the pages. "Chastity!" I quickly jump out of my swing, snapping the novel closed. "Yes, Father?" I walk back towards our house, but give one look back at the wooden bench swing that sat in the middle of our yard, under the shade of an ancient tree. Father grins at me when he sees me at the door. He gives me a huge hug. "Happy eleventh Birthday!" He ruffles my nearly silver hair. I grin up at him and follow him into the house. 

"So, what do you want to do today?" He looks down at me, awaiting my response.

I pretend to think about my response, but it is always the same every year. "Can you take Chad and I to the park? We can have a picnic lunch!"

My father nods. "Go tell your brother. We will leave at noon." I grin and rush up to my younger brother's room.

"Chad! We're going to the park in two hours."

I hear my brother running towards his door, and once he's opened it he gives me a hug.

"Happy Birthday, sis." I ruffle his brown hair, just as my father had done to me a couple of moments earlier.

I run to my room, still clutching my book to my chest and throw myself onto my bed. I stare up at the ceiling of my bedroom and try to remember…

My mother, father and I went on a picnic on my third birthday. We sat on a blue blanket, a woven basket sat in the center. We surrounded the basket and my mother and I chased the bugs.

The day was perfect for a picnic, absolutely lovely weather. My mother reclined in the sun, resting. Father asked her how she was feeling. He whispered it, so I wouldn't hear. But the butterflies were not as interesting as my parents thought.

I close my eyes and try to imagine that day once again, but the memory fades.

It is the last memory of the three of us together, enjoying ourselves.

My thought process is disrupted by a clicking noise at my window. I rise and look at my small visitor.

"An owl?" I ask myself, more surprised than anything else. I have a talent for animals, but I have never seen an owl so close, and never in the middle of the day.

The most interesting part is the owl made eye-contact with me and instead of flying away, like most birds would do at this point, she pecks at the window again and sticks out her leg. I look at the pouch and quickly open the window. I've never heard of an owl as a messenger bird before.

I take out a letter from the pouch and search for something in my room to give the owl, but I have no acceptable food. "Sorry." I whisper to the owl. I gently pat her head and open the letter…

"This isn't possible…" I whisper. "Dad?" I rush down the stairs, the owl still fluttering by me.

I run right into my father, not pausing. "Look at this?"

My father looks at me, almost as if he's going to scold me for pestering him with something while he is working, but he sees the owl and quickly grabs the letter from me, muttering some of the words as he reads:

"_Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry Headmistress Minerva McGonagall…"_ He pauses for a second, giving me a look, as if telling me that he doesn't believe me, but he continues to read.

"_Dear Ms. Chamberlain, We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary book sand equipment. Term begins on September 1. We await your owl by no later than July 31."_

"Chastity…" my father looks at me sternly. "Where did you get the paper?"

"Dad, this isn't a joke. The bird just literally flew to my window."

My father looks at me with disbelief.

"Can I?" I ask. "You were going to send me to boarding school anyway. If this is some sort of prank, we will find out soon enough, and if it's not…" I grin at my dad. "It's everyone's dream to go learn magic. And I _can!_"

"Let me write the letter, Chastity." My Dad says, sighing as he speaks. "We'll just have to keep this a secret, even from Chad."

"Yes, Father." I pause, thinking for a second. "Also ask them if they can give us directions on where to buy the supplies and books. I have a feeling that Standard Book of Spells won't be a normal book at any store around here."

"Are you sure about this, Chastity? You really want to go to this _magic_ school."

"I think that it will be interesting." An adventure…

"Well, as long as you'll be able to contact me…"

I hug Father. "Thank you." I grin, my green eyes flashing with happiness.

"I'm sure I will be proud of you." He pats me on the head. "Now, go prepare for our picnic."

I continued to receive owls for the rest of the week. I kept small treats in my room, that I had quickly bought as soon as I found out that owl correspondence is the regular way of witches.

We were given instructions: where to go to buy the books, where to go to get on the train, some basic information about the wizarding world. My father finally began to believe that this wasn't all a bunch of rubbish, and agreed that we would have to go buy my supplies soon.

The strangest part about the entire correspondence was that they had been certain that I was a child in a wizarding family, although there had been no cases of a "Chamberlain" in any record that the wizard government kept. They apologized for not thinking about any troubles that a non-magical person would have finding their way around and not offering assistance to us, because they believed one of my parents had been a graduate. They offered to send someone to help us navigate our way around "Diagon Alley", but my father declined their offer. He wanted to figure this out on his own, once they gave us instructions on how to get there.

So now, July 10th, my father and I are going to purchase all of my school supplies. Chad went over to his friend's house, so Father and I have most of the day to find what we need.

We took the train to London. I curl my legs underneath me and open my green shoulder-bag and take out another book to read.

I'm expecting that I will enjoy my homework a lot more at a _magic_ school than I did in normal school. Each of the books will probably seem like some fantasy novel for me.

A new adventure.

I look up from my book and at the scenery that we pass.

Father looks concerned.

"Well, today is the day of reckoning." He murmurs, just enough for me to hear him. "Today we find out if this was all some huge practical joke or not."

I shake my head, not believing that Father didn't believe yet. This was way too elaborate for anyone to be doing as a prank.

"Well, just remember. Stay close to me at all times." I nod my head, and my father ruffles my hair. The train stops. "Let's go, Chastity."

I quickly stuff the book back into my bag and follow my father off the train. I grip in my left hand the instructions on how to get into Diagon Alley and my father's hand with my other.

"Charing Cross Road…" I whisper to my father. He nods, and leads me in the proper direction. My father doesn't take us very frequently into London, so I do not know the city as well as I would wish.

"Well, we're here. Wherever here is."

My eyes scan the street. This is where the directions said. "There!" I point across the street towards a shop that had a faded sign, one of the chains broken and blowing in the wind. I only noticed because of the broken sign.

"I still don't see anything."

I shake my head. "Just follow me. It's probably guarded or something so that most people won't see it."

We cross the street and I open the door for my father.

"We're walking into a wall?" He asks me.

"Trust me. There is a shop here." Father shakes his head, but follows me through the door.

And into a busy tavern.

"Hi, I am Tom. I've never seen you two here before…"

"I'm a new student and we're trying to get to Diagon Alley…" I state, my father still quiet and in awe. "We're new to this entire experience."

"Ah, muggles. Well, I'll show you how to get into Diagon Alley. Just be careful not to go down Knockturn Alley. It's rather unpleasant for people, especially if you're muggle born. Come on, come on." We follow him outside of the shop to a wall.

He begins to tap the bricks in a pattern. "Three up, two across." He grins at me. "Just remember that next time. Go to Gringotts first. You'll need to change your currency into something useful here."

"That's the bank?" Father finally speaks.

"It's the only one in this area." Tom grins at us. "Now, go have fun, and don't gawk too much."

"Now do you believe me?" I ask.

We walk through the newly opened gateway, and I stare in awe at the people walking around: wearing colorful robes, pointed hats, the hustle in the streets, the animals, people selling unicorn hair, and ground bat wings.

I stare with wide eyes, but keep my hand clutched on my father's.

"There!" I point towards the towering white building with huge columns that says "Gringotts Bank" in white lettering. We first go through the large bronze doors and then go through a second pair of silver doors.

"Those aren't human…" Father murmurs as he looks at the employees of the bank. "Definitely not human."

They are rather short men, with pointed ears and tufts of white hair poking from their heads. They wear brown suits.

"Can I be of assistance?" I look down and see the man who I tower over, an abnormality for my short stature.

"Where can we exchange currency?" I ask as politely as I can.

"Follow me." The man begins to walk briskly through the building.

"I'm just curious, and I'm a bit new to this entire wizarding world concept-"

"I'm a goblin." The man replies. "We run Gringotts, the finest bank in England. It's the most well protected bank. There has only been one case of anyone breaking in and successfully getting what he wanted in the last few years…" the goblin cuts himself off and shrugs his shoulders. "But those were abnormal circumstances. Well, here you are."

"Thank you." I say, grinning. I give a half bow.

He nods at me and turns, my father engages the goblin at the front desk and goes through the process of exchanging the money while I look around the bank.

"I'd set up a vault for you, but I don't know anything about the currency here…"

"We can do that some other time." I grin at my father. "Lets go purchase my school supplies." I take out the next sheet of parchment. "_Three pairs of work robes, one plain pointed hat, one pair of protective gloves, one winter cloak…one wand, one cauldron…"_ I pause. "Can I get a pet?" I grin at my father.

"Lets first get your books and uniform. Here." He hands me half of the golden coins that we had just gotten from the bank. "We're right by the robe store, and unless I am vastly mistaken, you can purchase your clothing there. You get your robes while I pick up some of your other supplies. Just wait for me if you finish before I come back."

I nod and hug my father.

I walk into Madam Malkin's shop and a quiet bell tinkles in the store. A woman rushes out. "Oh, another student. Come on, let's measure you for your new robes." She waves her hand and an assistant wearing black robes comes out. "Gabrielle, go help out…" the woman pauses. I quickly realize she's waiting for my name.

"Chastity. Chastity Chamberlain."

"Go help Ms. Chamberlain find some robes that suit her. Hogwarts?"

"Yes, Ma'am."

"I'll grab your hat, gloves, and cloak while you get measured. There isn't much of a selection under the Hogwarts requirements."

Gabrielle pushes me towards a dressing room and whispers a few words and a tape measure comes out and begins to measure me. Gabrielle takes quick notes.

"Muggle?"

"Yes." I say.

"I'm sure that this is all a bit overwhelming."

I grin at the blond assistant. "You have no idea how exciting this is. I've never been so happy before."

"Just hope that you get into the right house." Gabrielle pauses. "Well, that shouldn't concern you right now. Just remember to at least skim through your school books so you have a sense of what is supposed to happen."

I grin. "I don't think I've been more glad to read a book before in my life."

Gabrielle smiles at my childish excitement. "Well, here." She hands me a stack of robes that had magically appeared while we conversed. "Try on the uniform part too. The tie, badge, and liner will change colors once you find out what house you have been placed into." I nod my head.

I quickly change, as if I was worried that if I didn't I would wake up, and all of this have been one elaborate dream. I look at myself in the mirror, and realize that these are the best fitting clothes that I've ever had. I grin at myself and change back to my normal clothes.

"It works." I tell Gabrielle, and she quickly summons two more sets of the same outfit.

Gabrielle also places the hat, cloak and gloves on my pile of clothing. "I'll help you wrap the clothes up…" Afterwards I pay for the clothes, and she briefly explains the currency to me.

With my money pouch considerably lighter, I sit outside and await my father's return with my other school supplies.

I look out at the bustling street, and see someone my age walk towards me, standing with his mother.

I quickly move out of the way, catching a brief glimpse at the boy. He has short brown hair and what appeared to be grey eyes. His mother is a relatively tall woman with long brown hair that has streaks of grey in it. She seems majestic.

"Chastity!" I look up at my father. "I have everything except your wand and your pet." I grin.

"So I am getting a pet?"

My father ruffles my hair again. "Yes, yes you are." I grin.

"I saw a wand shop just a few streets over. Let's go there."

I follow my father. We pass by a couple of interestingly named shops: _Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes, Quality Quidditch Supplies, and Magical Menagerie_.

We stop at Olivanders, a seemingly ancient store. When we walk in it is very quiet and the entire store is stacked to the roof with different boxes.

A younger wizard wearing pale blue robes walks out. "Hello, I am John Clarkson." He reaches out to shake my hand. "I'm sorry, but I don't have nearly the same knowledge that the previous owner had, although he did try to give me as many of his memories about the different wands he sold before he finally went into retirement."

"Well, this is a new experience for us as well." My father speaks. "Chastity is the first one in our family to have magical abilities."

"Well, then what are we waiting for: lets find the right wand…" Clarkson murmurs. "If you want to place your stuff down and go do something else while Chastity finds the right wand go right ahead. I have a feeling that she might be one of the more difficult people to find a match." He looks at our confused looks. "The wand picks the witch."

Father nods. "I'll be at the Magical Menagerie and see if I can find something for you." I contain my grin.

"Lets see. Nine and a quarter inches, oak, dragon heartstring." I gently take the wand from Clarkson's hands.

"Just give it a swish." He says, pretending to lift his hands and drop them, as if conducting an orchestra.

I lift the wand, but he quickly takes it from me. "No, no. That won't do at all. Hawthrone, eleven inches, veela hair. An odd combination."

I lift the wand in the air and bring it down, nothing happens.

Clarkson looks at me for a second, his head quirked to one side. "No, that won't do either."

He places the wand back in its box. We try many different wands: oak, holly, willow. Different lengths, although Clarkson is convinced that the shorter wands would be most beneficial for me. We try different cores: unicorn tail hairs, veela hair, dragon heartstring. Finally he grabs another, blowing the dust off the box.

"Walnut, nine and a half inches, phoenix feather." He passes it to me, once again I lift it.

I shudder and feel a sudden chill. I lift the wand and drop it. Small snowflakes come out of the wand.

Clarkson stares at me and takes out his own wand and whispers a spell. I quickly begin to feel warmer.

"Well, it's one of the strangest reactions I have ever seen, but it is a match for you…"

The wand did feel quite comfortable in my hand once I had gotten used to the sudden chill. "Thank you."

"You might want to learn a warming spell if you are going to use that wand." Clarkson says, looking at me as though I am under a microscope. "I have never seen that before…" he whispers again in amazement.

"What does that mean?" I ask, confused.

"Well…" he pauses looking at me. "I can tell that the wand agrees with you. It's just something that I've learned to see, but normally people have a warming sensation and give off sparks when they first lift the wand, but you. You sucked in the warmth and produced snow…" He shrugs. "It's just interesting. Maybe it has something to do with your past. Different people will have different reactions depending on their personal experiences."

I nod. "How much for the wand."

"Six Galleons." I hand over six of the large golden coins, and sit in the corner of the store with all of the purchases. I gather them around me, so that I take up as little amount of space as I possibly can. I stare out of the grubby window and await a sign of my father's approach.

I contemplate opening the new school books as I wait for my father, but I know better. Instead I just open my green bag again and seek my book again. I flip through the pages lethargically. It seems so useless to read about a fantasy world when I am now living in one that I have to learn about.

"Mother, can't I just have Father's wand." I hear a boy's voice complain. As he comes into view I realize that he is the same boy that I saw at Madam Malkin's.

"Daniel Octavius Cornelius!" The woman says in a stern voice. "I did not come here to hear you complain. The wand does not work with you, as your father and I have tried to explain multiple times. Let's just go through the selection process and see what we can get."

The boy seems to be taken aback by his mother's sudden outburst. I pretend that I can't be seen. I don't know if my presence will be offensive to others or not, so I just try to make it seem as if I am invisible and hope not to disturb anyone.

"Hello. Oh, another Prince, if I am not mistaken." Clarkson says.

"Not Prince anymore." The mother says stiffly. "Avery."

"Well, lets see if we can find a wand for you, Daniel."

Clarkson takes out a wand and hands it to Daniel. "Willow, ten and three quarters inches, unicorn hair." Daniel lifts the wand, almost not caring and drops the wand in a quick swishing motion. Green sparks erupt from the end of the wand.

Clarkson grins. "We have a match."

I stare from my little corner that I've nestled myself in. It took me what seemed to be half of the store's wands, but this other child got his wand on his first try.

The quiet of the store is interrupted by a door opening. "Chastity? Are you here?"

Daniel and his mother stare at the door. I quickly dislodge myself from my corner and they look at me, as if they hadn't noticed me before. Father and I grab all of the parcels that we had purchased.

"Thank you again." I say as we leave.

There is a black owl sitting in a cage when we leave the store. "This is yours, Chastity."

"She's beautiful! What's her name?"

"They said Vesperi. I also picked up some food for her, but I don't think that she'll want to eat dead mice…"

I nod. "Lets go home." I grin at my father. "I think I am ready for my journey now."

He pats my head. "I know you are."

**End of Chapter 1 **

**Ugh, that was a lot of details and getting some background for Chastity. I hope that you can bear with me and wait for another chapter. Please read and review, and if you have any complains or compliments please tell me. Please also tell me if you believe that my story is too similar to another's. I checked the title and noticed a number under the same name, but I haven't read any of them and most of them involved the Harry generation of characters.**

**Thanks.**

**Li Kailun**


	2. Introductions

**Meh, I've got to say I wasn't expecting a much better response for an OC piece of writing. Please respond to say if you want me to continue posting this or not. I might continue to write it for my own personal enjoyment, but there is really no point to posting it if no one is reading. ^.^**

**Sorry about any formatting errors in the previous chapter. My computer and I have issues with what we believe to be the "proper" format. At least it didn't come out as one huge block paragraph…**

**Anyway, thanks to those who did read.**

**In this chapter I may have changed the future of some of the characters from what actually happens in Deathly Hallows. I apologize in advance, but it will only be occupations and not relationships. If any of the characters died, I apologize.**

**Disclaimer: I am not J.K. Rowling, nor do I claim to be. Chastity Chamberlain is my own character, in all the different forms that she appears in because I absolutely have fallen in love with that name.**

Chapter 2: Introductions

"Well, here we are, Chastity." I nod my head. Kings Cross Station. "Now, you know how to reach me. I'll respond to Vesperi if you send her."

I nod my head. "Thanks, Father." I quickly wipe my away the tears that are accumulating in my eyes. "I'll tell you how everything is once I settle in."

I stand in the middle of the station. I look at the instructions. "Platform nine and three quarters." I look up and see both platform nine and ten, but no indication of this platform nine and three quarters.

Perhaps it is like The Leaky Cauldron, where you just have to be an acute observer of the surrounding area, but I know that can't be correct.

"Well, it has to be between platforms nine and ten." I murmur to myself. I wish some of the books had given me a hint about the method of getting to school, but it probably was too trivial of a fact to put into a schoolbook, especially if everyone going to the school would have figured out a way through.

I check my watch.

"Bloody hell…" I whisper.

I stare hard at the barrier between platforms nine and ten.

Then I see a cage of the similar shape to Vesperi's.

"Well, this is the best chance your going to have, Chastity. Just walk over there. You can do it."

The person with the owl turns to his parents and begins to, I assume, say goodbye to them. I stand back a few paces from them and I watch the other student carefully lean on the barrier and disappear.

I nod my head, surprised at this revelation, but not overly excited. Everything has been so strange lately that a magical barrier isn't anything too special. I wheel my bag and owl over to the barrier and gently lean on the barrier.

I feel myself slip through, as if I had just walked through a wall of tepid water. I open my eyes and stare in awe at the huge red train that was waiting.

I grin and lift my trunk and Vesperi's cage onto the train and search for an empty compartment. Since I am relatively early, it very easy to do so.

I make sure that there isn't any sign that this is someone's "regular" compartment. Once it passes my "inspection" I place my bag underneath my seat. I sit down and place Vesperi on the ground as I search through my green bag for one of the schoolbooks. Each one of them now looked as if they had been used for at least two years before I purchased them. I grin and look down at the book I had now clutched in my hands: _Hogwarts, A History._ Although this book hadn't been on the list of textbooks, my father bought it because he thought I should know the background of the school that I was attending.

I arrange my stuff so it takes up as little room as possible, and then I open the book and lose myself in reading.

"_Ahem."_

I quickly snap my book shut and look around the room. "Yes?" I ask, looking at the group of people standing at the door of my compartment.

"We were wondering if there was any room here?"

"Yes." I quickly reply to the girl who questioned me. She seems to be the leader of the group of four: one girl and three guys. The four of them clamor into the compartment and shove their trunks underneath the seats and take seats. The compartment seems remarkably small all of a sudden. I squeeze myself against the window and continue to read.

"Thanks." The girl states. She quickly brushes her long brown bangs out of her eyes. "Most of the other cars are already filled."

"No problem." I grin. "It's not as if I was waiting for anyone."

"First year?"

I nod. "What year are you guys in?"

"Fourth. I'm in Ravenclaw, Sam…" she nods towards the boy sitting next to her who had blond hair "is in Ravenclaw as well. Greg and Gary are both in Hufflepuff." She points at the two brunette boys sitting next to me. "Gary is in third year."

"I'm Chastity" I say. "Nice to meet all of you."

"Muggle-born?" the girl asks.

"How did you know?"

The girl laughs. "No one reads _Hogwarts, A History_. It's kind of a running joke."

"Oh…" I whisper, and quietly turn back to the book.

"I'm Rebecca." She says quickly.

"That she is…" One of the boys finally speaks up. "You go and introduce all of us and conveniently forget about yourself."

The four of them begin to chat with each other, catching up on what they did over the summer. I try to turn my focus back to the book, but I like listening to their conversation and catching brief fragments about who each one of them is.

Greg and Gary are brothers and Rebecca was their neighbor until the past summer. They had been an unbreakable trio until they went to Hogwarts and got placed in their Houses. Luckily for them Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff share most of the same classes, so Greg and Rebecca still have time together. Gary, on the other hand, is the odd one out in the group because he is a year younger.

I close my book with a snap and place it back into my bag.

The four of them stare at me as if I was going to say something. I just shrug at them and close my eyes.

After what seems to be a couple of seconds, I awake due to a lot of noise. "I'll take two chocolate frogs, a Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans, and a Pumpkin Pasty." I hear Rebecca say quickly.

"Make that the same order for each of us." Gary says quickly. He pokes me in the side, trying to wake me up.

"Hey, the food trolley is here!" I slowly rub my eyes and look around the car.

I pay for the food that Gary ordered for me and give him a small smile. "Thanks for waking me."

Sam grins at me. "Just a fair warning…when they say "every flavor", they mean _every_ flavor."

I stare at the box of jellybeans in front of me. "You mean there is sardine flavored jelly beans?"

Sam shrugs. "I've never run into that one personally, but I have gotten avocado."

Rebecca nods. "I've heard of vomit and earwax flavor, but never had the honor of trying one of those myself."

"Oh, and the chocolate frogs jump." Greg says as if it is completely normal. "They also have trading cards. I swear if I get another Dumbledore…"

I shake my head and carefully open the chocolate frog, holding it tightly and taking a bite from I before it can jump away. I quickly down the rest of the frog, enjoying the chocolate. I take out the card. "Merlin!" I pause. "He was real?"

Gary pats me on the head. "You have a lot to learn, young one."

"So, what House do you want to go into?" Greg asks me.

I shrug. "I don't know. I've read about all of them, but I'm not sure which one I belong to."

Rebecca glances at me. "Well, I'd say Ravenclaw offhand, or at least from what I've seen of you. Definitely not Slytherin."

"Because I'm a Muggle." I state evenly, not knowing the complete meaning of the word.

The four of them look at each other.

"Well…" Sam begins.

"It's because you're a mudblood." Greg spits out. "That word is the most offensive term for wizards who come from Muggle families. You will probably hear it at least once during your time at Hogwarts."

"Although I have heard that it is a lot tamer now that You-Know-Who and a lot of his followers are gone. I think that this generation will be one of he last ones who grows up with so many people thinking that blood lines are important…" Gary says.

"Dream on." Rebecca replies. "But we shouldn't concern that with you now…"

I nod my head, somewhat understanding what the witch and wizards were talking about.

"Well, I think I'm going to go back to my nap. You guys can have my left over food." I place it on the table that split us into two halves. "Wake me up when we arrive?"

"Sure." Rebecca says. "We will." She pauses, thinking for a second. "Well, if you're going to sleep you should probably put on your uniform. That way you won't have to rush when we arrive at Hogwarts. I'll show you where the lavatory is."

I quickly grab a set of my robes from my bag and sloppily place my pointed hat upon my head. Rebecca grins at me and straightens it. "We'll look after you this year."

"Thanks…" I whisper. "It's good to know that I'll have something like an older sibling here."

"Only child?" Rebecca quickly questions.

"Younger brother." I don't tell her how I try to be one of the major authority figures in his life and tried to take on some responsibilities that I remember my mother having.

I quickly duck into the bathroom and change. The uniform feels surprisingly comfortable. I slip the wand that was in my jeans into a pocket in the robes. I toss my cap on, once again, as an after thought.

Rebecca grins at me. "I wouldn't recommend on you wearing that to the feast."

"Why?" I ask, my green eyes making contact with her grey ones.

"Well, you've heard of the Houses." I nod. "Well, it is done by a process called "sorting". It's completely painless and doesn't test your knowledge at all. There is a hat…" Rebecca looks at me. "Well, the hat _knows_ things. It's been sorting for many years and I have never heard of a case of anyone being resorted. Sure, people go and talk to the hat at later times if they are a bit confused, but no one is _ever_ resorted."

"So, Ravenclaw is intellect, Gryffindor is courage, Hufflepuff is loyalty, and Slytherin is ambition."

"Among other things." Rebecca states. "But those are the basics. Honestly, most Gryffindors are as loyal as Hufflepuffs, and one of the smartest witches was placed into Gryffindor. All of the lines blur at least a little."

We continue walking back to the compartment and sit down in our previous seats.

"So, what are the best classes?"

"It really depends…" Gary says, biting back a yawn. "Some of the teachers are nicer to their own house than others. Headmaster Snape was a prime example of that…" Gary cuts himself off. "Well, that story has a bit more to it. You don't need to hear it yet and you definitely don't need to understand it."

I nod. "I guess I will just have to see for myself." I yawn again. "You guys go ahead and have my food. I think I'm in for another nap." I curl up against the window and use my bag as a pillow. I let blissful sleep overtake me…

"Chastity." I quickly get up and rub my eyes.

"What's happening?" I quickly ask, alert all of a sudden. I anticipate danger.

"Nothing is going on. We've arrived!" Sam states. "Just take your bags off the train. They'll be in your dorm room after the feast."

I nod. "Thanks for talking to me today."

The four of them grin. "No problem. Just remember that if you need someone, just find one of us."

Gary pats me on the back. "We like you, kid."

I get my bag off the train with relative ease and see a lot of other students my age leaving it on the ground. I quickly check that my name is on both my bag and Vesperi's cage. I keep my green shoulder bag.

"Firs' years over here! Firs' years!" I see a man towering over everyone else. I feel particularly small after seeing him, but I continue to walk over to where he stands.

"Everyone here?" The man quickly counts all of us who herded over to him. All of the trembling, short, cautious children.

"No more'n four ter a boat!" The man quickly takes one for his own person and all of us scramble to sit in one. My boat is comprised of two boys and another girl. I recognize the boy as the brown haired boy that I ran into multiple times in Diagon Alley. He glares at me when he realizes that I am staring. I quickly advert my eyes and stare at my hands.

"Duck!" All of us lower our heads as we pass under a bridge. I look around me, absorbing the sights.

Marveling.

The other three in the boat don't seem nearly as impressed.

I assume they are from wizarding families.

"Father always made it out to be much more spectacular," the dark haired girl on my left whispers.

The boy sitting across from her quickly retorted, "Well, Father was also greatly impressed by the giant squid."

Twins…

I quickly look back down and begin to fiddle with my bag again. I wish that I were sitting in a boat with people similar to me.

"Did your mother tell you anything about this place?" the boy across from me asks. Daniel.

Any remaining color in my face quickly drains. "My mother never told me much of anything."

I don't say any more.

"Of course not, muggle-born." Daniel sneers at me. "How could she? She doesn't know anything about Hogwarts."

"And she never will…" I quickly whisper. I can feel my emotions bubbling inside of me. I bite my lip. We're almost there, Chastity. Don't cry and don't do anything unintentional.

For some reason I _know_ that I could harm the other three children in the boat right now.

I close my eyes and practice breathing techniques that I taught Chad when he was having nightmares.

"We've arrived, muggle-born. Stop praying to your gods and get off the boat. Face your fears like a real human would."

The word "muggle" was spoken with such hatred…

I keep my head lowered and gently step off the boat. I'm not surprised when I feel two hands on my shoulders. I look up and I see Daniel's leering face over mine.

"You don't want to do that." I say coolly. "I may just be a stupid muggle-born, but I definitely could use a release right now."

The kid backs off, understanding my threat. I feel the beast inside of me calm down. It lowers itself from lashing out. I give off a quick sigh of relief.

"Everyone in ter th' castle!" The huge man's voice booms. I quickly drop back and try to get away from that vile boy.

I feel an enormous hand on my head. "You alrigh'?" I look up at the huge man.

"Yes, sir."

He pats my head, a bit too roughly considering how small I am. "I am Hagrid. I teach Care o' Magical Creatures."

I feel myself slowly nodding my head. "I'm Chastity, and I am just trying to avoid future Slytherins."

Hagrid grins at me. "Don't worry. They aren't all bad." I shrug my shoulders.

"Well, I would just like to avoid them all the same. A few of them have already proclaimed in the Dirty Mudblood of our grade."

Hagrid shakes his head. "Some things will never change…"

I quickly run to catch up with the rest of my classmates who are filing into the building. We form a semi-circle in the Hall. I look up at the ceiling, grinning as I recognize that it is enchanted to look like the outside sky. I quickly try to find some simple constellations that I learned from camp, but another voice cuts me off.

"Excuse me! Can you all hear me?" There is a rumble of answers throughout the hall. "Good! I am Neville Longbottom and I want to welcome all of you to Hogwarts. I am the Head of Gryffindor House." Hagrid clears his voice and gives Neville a look. "Well, we can go over that later. In a couple of minutes you will all be joining your classmates in the Great Hall, but before you can sit down at the tables we must first sort you into one of the four Houses." Neville pauses, taking a breath. "It's rather simple, nothing to be concerned about. I'll call up your name and place a hat on your head. You will have a simple conversation with the hat and it will call out the House that you now belong to. I believe that everyone is now ready."

The doors to the Great Hall open and all of us quickly walk in. There are four long tables in a row, each having its own banner. On the far left there is one that is covered in green and silver with snakes, the second to the left has blue and grey banners with ravens, the second to the right has scarlet and gold banners with lions, and the final table is yellow and black with badgers.

"The animals on the seal of the letter…" I whisper.

My eyes travel up the room to a stool where a tattered black hat sat. Behind the hat is where, I assume, all of the teachers sit. In the center there is a rather stern looking woman. There is one empty chair, which must be Neville's. Hagrid had already taken his without too much of a fuss.

"Without further ado: the sorting hat!" Neville proclaims.

The hall goes completely silent and it seems as if the hat will do completely nothing. Maybe Father is right and this is one elaborate joke…

But the hat suddenly jumps up and a little rip in the side of the hat becomes its mouth.

"_I was formed a thousand years ago_

_for a most peculiar job:_

_to keep the head of a wizard_

_both comfortable and warm_

"_But one day, many years ago_

_they discovered I had a talent_

_to tell where students should go_

"_Whether they would fare well_

_in brave Gryffindor_

_where the students are brave and true_

"_Or perhaps with fair Ravenclaw_

_with knowledge very true_

"_Maybe in loyal Hufflepuff_

_who cared for them all the same_

"_Or at last in Slytherin_

_in which the cunning gain._

"_My job is tough_

_But it is a must_

_And I would never want to change_

_So place me on your head_

_And I see what I can do!_"

The hall erupted into applause. I look around rather surprised and begin to clap along as well.

Neville quickly squeaks and steps forward. "When I call your name, please come up and place the hat on your head! Evan Andrews!"

The boy quickly rushes up and sits on the stool. Neville gently places the hat on the boy's head, and after a couple of seconds the hat opens its rip again and shouts: "HUFFLEPUFF!"

The people sitting at the far right table applaud and Evan takes off the hat and runs over to join them.

"Daniel Avery!" The Diagon Alley boy saunters up. Before the hat is even touching his head it shouts: "SLYTHERIN!"

The green and silver table bursts into cheers.

I'll be soon. I watch as Paula Bridge gets placed into Ravenclaw and Kyra Cambridge goes into Gryffindor.

"Chastity Chamberlain!" I try to walk up to the hat as quickly as I can without tripping. The hall seems to have grown twice in length since I perceived. I quickly glance at the Ravenclaw table and catch Sam's eye. He hits Rebecca and both of them give me the thumbs up signal. I give a weak smile and sit down on the stool. Neville drops the hat onto my head and it quickly covers up to my nose.

"_Very interesting you are. Very interesting…"_

"In what way?"

"_Well, you are very brilliant, a perfect characteristic for Ravenclaw, and you certainly aren't afraid to stand up for yourself. But you are determined to prove yourself to everyone and show that a muggle-born can do just as well as everyone else."_

"Well, I've seen how people treat Muggles already."

"_Very interesting indeed, Ms. Chamberlain. I am sure that you will want to talk to me again about this, but I _must_ place you in…_SLYTHERIN!"

The hall goes silent. No cheers, no applause. I look over at the Ravenclaw as I pass and Rebecca and Sam both look at me in horror.

A Slytherin Mudblood. I wonder when the last time something like that happened. I sit at the end of the table, away from the eyes of everyone at the table. They all seem to know already that my parents had no magical abilities themselves.

I stare at my plate for the rest of the sorting, ignoring the stares at me. What made me different?

There is a final applause and no more names are called. I look up and Neville retakes his seat at the teacher's table. The stern woman sitting in the center stands up. "Just a few words before the feast: Painted Hippogryphs."

The entire school applauds, except for the first years. A lot of us look around bewildered, but our attentions are quickly turned to the mass amounts of food now sitting in front of us.

I reach for the spoon to place some of the potatoes on my plate, but a hand quickly slaps mine away.

"I won't touch something that the mudblood has." One of the older Slytherins sniggers. I calmly take my spoon from the side of my plate and begin to serve myself food without using the serving utensils that everyone else was using.

I don't say a word. I quickly place my napkin on my lap and eat my food as politely as I could. They wouldn't be able to insult me for my eating habits. I would make sure of that.

A silver figure floats across from me and stares at me. He is covered with a silver liquid, which looks a lot like…

"Hey, Bloody Baron. Look at what the sorting hat gave us this year. It's even worse than a blood traitor!"

I look quickly down at my chicken and begin to cut it fiercely. The ghost floats next to me, as if observing a creature at the zoo from multiple angles.

"Muggle-born?"

"Precisely." One of the students glowers at me. "They shouldn't be allowed to breed."

I bite my tongue. Calm down, Chastity. There isn't anything you can say that will make this any better.

Well, maybe there was one thing.

I stand up. I lift my goblet and drop it back down, gaining the attention of the entire Slytherin table, as well as a few other people. I see Rebecca trying to make eye contact with me, telling me to sit down.

"Yes, so I am the muggle-born that you'll be forced to deal with for the next few years. I was hoping that people would be more clear minded in the wizarding world, but I guess I was incorrect. I am not going to introduce myself except with these few things. Whatever you call me, it won't hurt me. So, I am the Slytherin Mudblood." I grin at those words. I had once been told that if I fear something, the only way to overcome it was to make the fear my own and to control it. I would take the reins on this name now, before they made it something that would harm me. "I _am_ the SLYTHERIN MUDBLOOD!" I repeat myself and hear my voice echo in the hall. "And there is not a damn thing that you can do about it."

I sit back down and turn my attentions back to the chicken that I was faced with. In a few moments the silence at the Slytherin table stops and the students return to their idle chatter.

The ghost floats around me again. "So, who were you?" I quickly ask the Bloody Baron. "You must have had a name."

The ghost glares at me. "You are different. Nobody in years have asked me for that information."

I shrug my shoulders. "Well, at least I know one person in my house will talk to me."

The ghost gets a cruel smile on his face. "Sir Richard Louis Harrison, at your service." He bows down as much as he could as a ghost.

"Thank you…" I whisper as I look at him. "Sir Richard."

He nods at me and then wanders further down the table for the first time since he arrived. I allow myself to be absorbed in the simple act of eating my food. After everyone is finished eating their main course the dishes disappear as suddenly as they had appeared and are replaced by various desserts. I grin when I notice that they have a huge chocolate that appeared right in front of me. I am about to reach for the knife to cut it when I realize that I would have the same results as when I tried to serve myself potatoes. I can't contaminate the cake with my knife that I used to cut the chicken…

So I get up and, not caring about the stares that I was getting, walked over to the Ravenclaw table.

"Do you guys mind if I take a piece of your cake?" They all glanced at me, mainly with bewildered looks.

"Don't you have some at your own table?" One of the older students ask.

"Yeah…"

"Let her have some, Roger!" shouts Sam from the other end. "She won't get any at the Slytherin table!"

The older student shrugs and slices off a portion and places it on my plate. "Thank you." I say, bowing my head slightly and I quickly return to my previous seat. I sit back down and, once again, begin to eat.

I grin when I finally consume the last bite of the cake. Although I might not get along too well with the people I am dorming with and having the majority of my classes with, at least the food is decent.

I lean back and close my eyes, waiting for the next speech to be given to us once dinner is completed.

The desserts disappear, just as the food did before. The headmistress stands up once again. "Welcome back to all the returning students and welcome to all new students! I am Professor McGonagall for those who didn't already know. Now we will briefly go over a few of the rules: Mr. Filch _once again_ has asked me to remind you that _no one_ should be going into the Forbidden Forest. It does have that name for a reason. Remember! No magic in the corridors! We don't need any more accidents of people turning purple. Also, Mr. Filch would like to remind you that you should not be in possession of anything from Zonko's, Weasley's, or any other joke shop." She grins for a second, as if privately thinking they would be fine in certain circumstances. "Also remember that Hogsmade is only for students Third Year or above. We will be checking for permission slips shortly."

She looks out over the entire school, her eyes lingering on the Slytherin table for a few seconds longer than the other tables. "The prefects will go over some more of the rules with you later, but I would like to stress the importance of your Houses. These are your _families_ for the next seven years. You may get into disputes, but try to get along with one another." She pauses again. "Now to introduce the new teachers and Heads of Houses. Neville Longbottom," she gestures to the brown haired man who helped us at the sorting, "will be taking over Professor Sprout's job as Professor of Herbology and is now the Head of Gryffindor House."

There was a rather loud round of applause and many of the Gryffindor students rise to cheer Neville on.

Neville smiles and takes a half bow before sitting down again.

Next she gestures towards a blond haired man who looked about the same age as Neville. "Ernie Macmillan will be taking over the position as the Head of Hufflepuff house and Potions professor."

The Hufflepuff table bursts out into cheers, but not nearly the applause that Neville had been greeted with.

She nods at the pale, blond man on her left. "Draco Malfoy will be the Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor and the Head of the Slytherin house." Our table gets a mixed response between outstanding cheers and a few whispers. I politely clap along.

I stare intently at this new Professor, curious about him. I wonder why there is such a mixed reaction at the table, but I know better than to question anyone. I have a feeling that this man won't make my stay in the Slytherin House any more accommodating.

"And…" she gestures finally to the woman sitting, begrudgingly, next to the pale blond. "Hermione Granger will be taking the position as Transfigurations Professor."

The brunette stands and I join those in the hall who burst out into applause. I had read some things about her in the books that I had read. She and I had some similarities. Maybe if I would be able to confide in her…

She gives a half bow, with a small smile playing on her lips.

"That is all for now. Prefects!" Two students, a boy and a girl, at each table rise from the table. "First years follow the Prefects to your dorms!"

There is a rumble throughout the hall as people begin to exit it. I follow my age group, but I try to stay at a decent distance away from them.

"Chamberlain!" I quickly look around me, looking for the voice that called. I see the Head of Slytherin house sweeping over to me.

"Professor Malfoy." I quickly respond.

"Walk with me." He says brusquely. I nod my head and slowly fall into his step. "I think that everyone in the Great Hall saw your display today, would you care to elaborate?"

I bite my tongue, thinking of the appropriate way to breach this topic. "I'm Muggle-born, sir. Everyone realizes that from just my last name and I was told there was no possible way that I would make it to Slytherin because of it, but…" I pause, thinking about what I was going to say.

"But what?"

"Well, a few future Slytherins were insulting my family." I pause for a second. "And I guess something just bubbled up inside of me to prove them wrong."

Malfoy shakes his head at me. "And Slytherins are quite determined."

"So I was placed in Slytherin." I end my story simply.

He pauses and I quickly stop a step after he. I turn towards him and make eye contact for the first time. "That still doesn't explain the display in the Great Hall."

"Oh, they told me that I couldn't touch the utensils. I decided I might as well take control of the name calling before I could fear the name. That's also why I went over to the Ravenclaw table to get some cake. I didn't want to get reprimanded again for touching a knife."

Malfoy nods again. "I'll talk to the House-Elves about doing something about your issues with getting food. I can't really do anything about how they treat you. It's…"

"I understand. It's something that everyone has grown up with for generations and not something anyone is going to grow out of any time soon." Malfoy nods. "Well, I hope that I can be an example. I can be an exception."

Malfoy nods again. "I was proven wrong myself during my stay at Hogwarts and the following years. It took me a while, but I got used to it. I would recommend speaking to Professor Granger though if you want to have any real discussions about being from a muggle family at Hogwarts…" His voice trails off, as if remembering something from a long time ago. "Well, we should be getting you to your dorm. I'm afraid most of the passwords to get into the Slythering dormitory won't be to your liking.

"Just be more careful, Chamberlain. Remember that you aren't at home yet, an it will take people a while to get used to you. Bravery may not be the best route in the current condition with you and your housemates."

I nod. "I'll keep that in mind."

Malfoy stops and looks at a wall in front of him and clearly states: "_Sanguis Incorruptus_."

A passageway appears behind the barrier. "Wicked…" I whisper.

"It's actually under the Lake, now hurry up and go to your dormitory!" I don't hesitate to enter the corridor that leads to the dormitory…

End of Chapter 2

**Sorry for the rather abrupt ending. I thought that this had gone on a bit long for a chapter (almost 6000 words…) so I decided to stop. So there will be a brief scene in the dorm room with the other four Slytherin girls before the first day of classes commence.**

**I am hoping that more than nine people click on this story before the next chapter. I know that OC stories aren't very popular…**

**Anyway, thanks to those who do read this.**

**Also: sorry about the four Hogwarts' students from Harry's grade. If I continue I probably will replace a number of them in the next story due to sticking to the story line J. K. laid out.**

**And sorry about the crappy sorting song. I really couldn't do much better than that because I cannot rhyme if my life depended on it.**

**Lots of Love,**

**Li Kailun**


	3. The Ugliness Kicking Around

**Hehe I'm writing this introduction before I have my typical "three days to see the results" so I don't know anything about the fanfiction and who to thank yet, so that will go at the end.**

**Oh, I also tried to revise the first chapter so that all my pretty formatting errors were fixed. I was too lazy to go back and correct grammatical errors. For some reason though, the first chapter now reads as 283 words, rather than the 4400ish that it actually is… I'll have a final word count at the end of each of the chapters, just for good fun.**

**Disclaimer: I do not claim any rights to the Hogwarts world that was masterfully created and written by J. K. Rowling. I do claim Chastity Chamberlain, Daniel Avery (ick), Rebecca, Sam, Greg, Gary, and some other original characters. The story line is, I hope, mine, but I am sure that there are other stories with similar plot lines floating about in the Internet and on this website.**

**I also don't claim rights to the title of my first chapter (belongs to the company whom R. E. M. signed to) nor do I claim rights to the title of this chapter, which belongs to the company that The Reputation signed to. Don't sue me! I don't have anything, except my root beer bottle cap…**

**If you would like to make any suggestions, please feel free to do so. If you would like to flame me, please feel free to do so. If you would like to say, "update soon", please feel free to do so. I will try to respond to reviews, but I am lazy and not afraid to admit it.**

**Anyway, I hope that you enjoy the next chapter!**

Chapter Three: The Ugliness Kicking Around

I chew on my bottom lip and look behind me, but notice that Professor Malfoy has already disappeared. I think about grumbling, but know better than to do that. So I march onwards to my personal doom.

I go up a flight of stairs and enter a cozy common room. There are plush chairs and couches placed strategically throughout the room in the Slytherin colors of green and silver. I look at the fire and think about sitting there for a few minutes to warm myself from the cool stares of my peers, but decide against it. I instead go up the stairs to where the dorms must be. I stare at the stairs, tying to decide which way was to the girl's portion of the dormitories.

Another girl begins to hop up the stairs, one at a time, her legs firmly bound together by some invisible force. I touch the wand in my pocket. "Do you need any help?" I ask simply at the tall black-haired girl who seemed to be under some sort of leg-locking curse.

The girl slowly nods her head. "I could use some help, yes." I point my wand to her legs and clearly state the counter-jinx that I had read about, following the proper wand motions.

The girl gains mobility of her legs quickly. "Thanks." She grins at me.

"No problem, nice to know someone in here appreciates me."

The girl's grin quickly changes. "You're…"

"I'm the plague of this house." I state with a smile dwindling on my lips. "Can you just show me where the first years stay?"

"Sure…I'm only a second year myself. Alysha." She sticks out her hand. I quickly place my wand in my pocket.

"Chastity, but I'll probably be better known as Mudblood."

Alysha doesn't smile. "That isn't something to really joke about…"

"Ah, my kind procreating and destroying the true line of heirs to the magical kingdom." I grin. "I find it hilarious."

Alysha shakes her head. "But they don't. You're just pushing them on. I'm only half-blood myself, and they think that I am one of the worst things that could have happened in this universe."

I shake my head. "Well, it's my job to prove them wrong." I follow Alysha up the stairs. "Thanks for showing me the way."

"Thanks for getting me out of that bind."

She gives me a shadow of a smile as she continues up another flight of stairs to the second year floor.

I duck my head into my dorm room. There are five beds, each having green curtains that surround them, that form a circle. Next to each bed is a bureau and our trunks are placed at the end of the bed. I assume that whoever brought our stuff to the rooms had taken Vesperi to wherever the owls are kept.

I look around the room and take my bunk, which is the closest to the door on the left side. I take off my shoulder bag and place it on the bureau. I lean back and stare up at the canopy of the bed.

"Looks like she's here…" I hear one voice whisper. I contemplate quickly rolling off the bed, but decide against it.

Two girls emerge from the shadows of the room, which if I may say freely, is rather difficult to do when the dormitory is illuminated as well as this one. I try not to show my pleasure when I realize that neither of the girls is the lovely girl I shared the boat with.

"Hi, I'm guessing that you'll be my roommates?"

"I'm Jessica Howard," states the pretty brunette. She's rather tall for someone our age.

"I'm Alessandra Quincy, but most people call me Allie." The dirty blond next to Jessica states evenly.

"We're just here to warn you…"

"Oh, don't worry. I think Professor Malfoy has already beaten you to that one. _You should be more careful around your housemates. This is your family for the next seven years._"

"Well, you saw what they did to Alysha?" Jessica asks. "Well, you're next."

I snort. "I think I realized that. Why are you guys warning me? You don't want to get caught up in this if you have the choice."

The two of them look at each other. "Not everyone in Slytherin is evil. Most people aren't evil…" Jessica begins.

"It's just learned behavior. Have you heard about…" Allie takes over where Jessica left off.

"Voldemort?" The two girls both glare at me.

"Don't say that name!" Allie whispers harshly. "He may be gone, but everyone is still overly concerned because of what happened last time."

"Don't worry…" I whisper. "I understand. I take it that the other two girls won't be nearly as pleasant as you two."

Jessica grimaces. "The black-haired girl is a Lestrange. Harriet Lestrange. Both her and her brother know that their father was a proud you-know-who supporter." She pauses. "The other blond in our house is a Goyle. Rita Goyle."

Allie grins. "Although I'd be more concerned about getting punched in the face by her than getting hexed."

"You should probably sleep before Lestrange and Goyle get here." I nod and quickly change into my pajamas.

I lie down on my bed, feeling the comfort radiating from the pale green sheets. I close my eyes and let sleep take me…

I slowly yawn, rubbing my eyes and brushing my hair out of my face. I grab a clean uniform, and I am surprised to see the set that I wore yesterday is neatly folded on top of my bureau and clean.

I walk to the bathroom that is adjacent to our room and wearily stare at myself in the mirror. I run a hand quickly through my hair, and a flicker of green catches my eye. I hold up the offensive strand of hair and sigh. I quickly turn around, looking over my shoulder and notice a rather large clump of my hair is now dyed the deep green of the Slytherin house.

"Well, at least my hair basically makes me a proud supporter of our house." I grin at my image and take a quick shower, hoping that it will remove some of the offending color.

I look once again at my image in the mirror as I quickly put my hair into a long braid, noticing that the splotch of green grew slightly. I place my hat strategically on the plot and hope that time will help it fade.

I return to my room and grab an inkbottle, quill, a bunch of parchment and other materials that I think I will need for my first round of classes. I shrug, realizing that I cannot cram all of my textbooks, as well as my foldable cauldron, herb set, and telescope into my bag, so I empty some of the items and decide I'll come back once I know my schedule.

I give one last look at my bed and am pleased with the neat state of my portion of the room. The other four girls are just beginning to move about and I quickly leave to go to breakfast before I can be awarded with any snide comments.

The common room is still relatively quiet at this time in the morning. I hope my internal alarm clock will continue to work this way so I can avoid as many people as I can. I slip through the hole and recognize the hallway that Professor Malfoy had led me down. I don't quite know my way yet, but I have a feeling that I have some time to explore, and I don't expect to get too lost.

I practice walking quietly through the hallway, keeping my ears perked up for the sound of any approaching footsteps or voices. I look over my shoulder a couple of times and feel rather silly, like I am pretending to be a spy or something of the sort.

I hum along to the all-too famous James Bond theme song when I finally recognize the Great Hall. I jump up the stairs and take my seat at the table. I grin when I notice there is an extra serving utensil set on top of my plate and a note claiming this seat as mine. I pocket the note, but as soon as I do a second one appears.

"I think that you're supposed to say your name," I hear a voice whisper to me. I jump and place a hand on my racing heart, but I take out my wand and point it at the note.

"Chastity Chamberlain!" I state as clearly as I can without feeling insane.

The note shimmers for a few seconds and disappears.

"This is now your seat." I grin and turn around.

"Professor Granger!"

"At your service." She shrugs her shoulders. "Malfoy and I both saw your incident yesterday and we came up with a simple charm that will make it a bit easier for you to eat."

"Thank you." I grin at the teacher.

"Malfoy also asked me to give you this." She hands me a small piece of parchment. "It's just your schedule, but I suspect that you'll be avoiding your table for the next few days until everything settles down a bit."

I grin. "That's true."

The woman pats me on the back. "I think the good news is that it can only get better from here on out."

I shrug my shoulders, not wanting to seem as a pessimist, but I could think of a number of things that could go wrong.

"I'll see you this afternoon, Ms. Chamberlain." She looks at me for one more second and lifts my hat, placing it back properly, as Rebecca had done multiple times the previous day. Professor Granger quickly mutters a spell. "And that should fix the prank." She shakes her head.

I nod. "Thank you again, Professor." She just smiles at me and walks over to the teacher's table. A few more students begin to file into the hall, so I begin to serve myself using the new utensils.

I grin as I see my favorite: chocolate chip pancakes. I take two of them and, after wrapping my hand with a napkin, pour a bit of syrup on the side of the plate and happily eat, glad that my Housemates cannot get angry with me for taking food anymore.

After I finish eating I quickly look down at the schedule for the day:

_8:30-11:30 Potions with Gryffindor_  
_11:40-12:20 Lunch_  
_12:30-2:00 Defense Against the Dark Arts with Gryffindor  
2:10-3:40 Charms with Ravenclaw  
3:50-5:20 Transfiguration with Hufflepuff_

I quickly scanned over the rest of the schedule, noticing that on Friday the classes ended at two rather than five twenty, and both Saturday and Sundays were free days. The schedule mentioned that any changes in classroom or events would be mentioned on it. I slip the parchment into a small pocket of my bag.

I glance at my watch. Eight o'clock. I still had another half hour to exchange textbooks for scales and potions materials and figure out my way to dungeons. I continue back to the dormitories in the most direct route I currently know.

I hide my grimace that I gained from the glares of my fellow housemates. I notice Alysha, Jessica, and Allie all talking to each other in hushed whispers. I give them a curt nod instead of all out greeting them. Alysha manages a weak smile.

I continue marching onwards. I clearly state, "Sanguis Incorruptus" and the wall opens up a hole for me to climb through again. I rush up the stairs and quickly remove my telescope and textbooks that are not potions relating. I refill my bag with what I believe is potions class materials. I grimace because the bag now feels remarkably heavier. I shake my head and look back down at my watch.

8:09

The schedule said that Potions was in the dungeons, and people say that the only real way to explore someplace is to get lost in the process. I grin as I wander through the labyrinth of corridors. I peek through each of the doorways, finding many random empty classrooms. I finally find a room that seems like it might be the potions room. Random vials are placed strategically throughout the room, and the desks are facing towards the front of the room where there is three cauldrons and a blackboard behind it. The desks are made to fit two people sitting next to each other and there is enough room between the desks for a cauldron per person.

I quickly leave the classroom and slide down the wall next to it, letting myself settle to the ground. Potions seems a bit like chemistry to me, and we were never allowed to go into science classrooms without a teacher being in there when I went to Muggle school.

So I wait. After a dull thirty seconds I decide I should pass my time in the one method I know best: reading. I flip through the pages of the introductory potions books; I reread facts about different herbs and ingredients. I sigh and loosen my silver and green tie that had begun to itch my neck.

I see more students trickling by. I get a few odd glances from the early Gryffindor students who arrived early and enter the classroom. I feel slightly embarrassed and rise, but I still refuse to enter the classroom.

"Mudblood scared to go to class?" I hear a new voice sneer. I open one of my eyes and look at the blond who looks about twice my height and strength.

"Not scared." I yawn, bringing one hand up to cover my face. "If I was scared do you think I would even be at the classroom?" I keep my face upwards as I reach for my bag and slip it over my shoulder. "Why aren't you in there? Conversing with a _mudblood_? Must not be good for your family name." I stop at this point and hide any expression from my face. The bell begins to ring, indicating that class is about to begin. "Better not be late, Madam Goyle." I open the door in a flourish and hold it for her and her friends to pass through.

They stare at me in horror. I bow and my reward is a shove. I catch my balance, but follow the rest of my classmates into the Potions Room.

I look around the room, trying to find an empty seat next to someone who won't "accidentally" drop random objects into my cauldron. I notice a desk in the back left corner and I hurry over there, drop my bag and sit down. I reach to take out a quill, parchment, and ink, but the professor enters.

"Hello Slytherins and Gryffindors. Welcome to First Year Potions. I am Professor Macmillan." He pauses and points to the chalkboard behind him. His name and the class title magically appear. "Now, before you get comfortable in those seats, I would like to arrange you into pairs so that you will work with someone you wouldn't normally. I will call out your names in order and fill them in starting from the front right and moving to the back left. Is that clear?" Everyone responds with an affirmative nod, grunt, groan, or word.

"Rita Goyle and Stanley Hudson." The blond Slytherin and a much smaller black Gryffindor boy move to the first desk. "Jessica Howard and Julia Lee." Jessica and a tall Gryffindor girl with shoulder-length curly, brown hair move to their new desk. "Harriet Lestrange and Duncan Lestrange." I'm surprised when I see the twins grin at each other and take their new desk. Maybe Professor Macmillan thinks it will be easier to keep an eye out on the two if they sit next to each other…

"Michael Pickett and Sean Carrow." A Gryffindor boy and a Slytherin boy. "Henry Oswald and Elizabeth Griffith." Two Gryffindors. "Madison Reed and Alessandra Quincy." A Gryffindor girl and Allie. "Aaron Rosier and Patrik Thoreau." A Slytherin boy and Gryffindor boy. "Jeremy Mulciber Sophia Longstreet." A Slytherin boy and Gryffindor girl. "Kyra Cambridge and Christopher Emerson." Both Gryffindors.

I stared at the remaining chair, which was the same one I had originally picked at the beginning of class. "Daniel Avery and Chastity Chamberlain." I whisper just as Professor Macmillan does. I expect Avery to stage a protest immediately, but I realize it is surprisingly quiet when I take my seat and begin to unpack my supplies.

I quickly realize it is because Avery is currently missing.

"Has anyone actually seen Mr. Avery today?" Professor asks. The Slytherin boys look at each other. The black haired boy who looks perpetually tired raises his hand. "Mr. Rosier!"

"He was at breakfast today, but he had to stay behind because Professor Malfoy wanted to speak to him about a few issues that came up last night."

I subconsciously touch the spot on my head that was green earlier.

The door bursts open and Daniel stands there with a note in his hand. He takes it and scans the room for a seat.

I shrink as much as I can, hoping that I can blend well with the brown shelves. I know it wont work, but it never hurt trying.

Avery glares at his friends.

"Assigned seating." I murmur, knowing that Avery won't really care. He makes a strange noise so I pay attention to what the professor is talking about and taking notes on my parchment.

"Does anyone know what the uses of the _dormiveris_ herb?" The professor pauses, and looks around the classroom for a response. I slowly raise my hand, somewhat recognizing the name from the textbook and my brief escapades in Latin.

When my hand is raised high enough for Macmillan to recognize me he quickly points at me. "Ms. Chamberlain?" I nod.

"It is one of the key components in any sleeping drought, but just seeping the herb in boiling water creates a tea that is known for its abilities in helping in relaxation. You can also find it in Muggle chamomile tea, although they are quite unaware of this fact."

"Very nice. Five points to Slytherin." The Professor grins at me. "Do you know any other ingredients for the most simple sleeping potion?"

I close my eyes and imagine the textbook in front of me. _Dormiens Potion: causes drinker to fall into a deep sleep for thirty minutes to an hour. Ingredients: four dormiveris leaves, three cups of boiled water…_

"Water?" I ask, feeling slightly stupid for making that comment.

"Very good, Ms. Chamberlain. Another five points for Slytherin. Most people forget about the most basic ingredients. Anyone else able to name some of the other components?"

Aaron Rosier confidently raises his hand, as do Julia Lee and Christopher Emerson.

"Mr. Rosier?"

"The final part is a pinch of whatever helps the maker of the potion sleep. For example: if someone needed his stuffed bear, Mr. Fluffy, to sleep, he would take a portion of the fur or stuffing of the bear and add it into the potion."

"Correct. Five points to Slytherin. Ms. Reed?"

"I believe that…" she pauses, as if trying to remember the exact reason for this component. "The _tardus_ herb is used. It is supposed to make the drinker begin to slow down, which helps the _dormiveris _herb take effect."

"Right. Five points to Gryffindor. I am happily surprised that you managed to get all of the ingredients correct. Now, once we finish reading the potions safety protocol, we will be able to make this potion." He hands out a parchment that we read aloud. "Work in your pairs and bring up a phial of your potion when you are completed with the task!"

I turn to Avery. "Let's use my cauldron so you don't need to worry about my hands touching yours, although we will be wearing gloves…" I cock my head to one side. "How does that work?"

"Lets just finish this potion so we don't have to talk to each other for the rest of the day, Mudblood."

I see a number of the Gryffindor student's heads turn in our direction, but the Professor ignores Avery's "insult".

"Alright, pure-blood." I place on my gloves and quickly build my cauldron.

"I'll make the fire and you get the herbs." I nod, deciding to go along with his orders rather than spending half of the time arguing. I look at the directions, which now had appeared on the board, and take out the required herbs.

I return to Avery. "Want me to measure the water?"

"Sure. I'll go find something that helps me sleep."

I quickly dump the water into the pot and follow the instructions. Avery and I had come to a silent truce at the moment so that we could both do our best on the first assignment of the year. We both quietly crush the _dormiveris _herb.

"Remember not to inhale the leaves or you'll get knocked out for a while." I whisper to Avery who just nods curtly at me. As the words escape my mouth I hear a dull thud of a body hitting the ground.

"Remember not to inhale the leaves!" Professor Macmillan states. "Thoreau take Goyle to the hospital wing. Rosier and Hudson, will you be fine working on your own for a while?"

Hudson grins, as if he believes that he will now do a lot better with Goyle gone. Rosier shrugs.

We sprinkle the first bit of the _dormiveris_ over the water, clockwise and then stir the potion for five minutes and let it simmer. We then begin preparing the _tardus_ herb and our own additions. I quickly search my bag for a small, stuffed cat. I pick out a few of the "hairs" from the palm-sized cat and return it to my bag.

"Stuffed animals, mudblood?" Avery asks me speculatively.

"It was a gift." I won't give Avery the satisfaction it was from my mother on my third birthday, only two months before she died. "What are you using?"

He shrugs and holds up a small piece of cloth.

I nod and notice our potion is turning the proper shade of magenta. "Time to add our personal touch." We drop our personal touch in at the same time. The potion turns a relaxing shade of blue.

"That looks alright…" I say. "Blue a relaxing color for you?" Avery shrugs. "I guess it worked then." I take out a phial and fill it with our potion, quickly scribbling our names on the side of it.

"Wow, you guys finished early…" Professor Macmillan states when I place our phial on his desk.

"I guess that's what happens when you and your partner refuse to talk to each other except brief words about the potion."

Macmillan stares at me for a second before realization hits in. "Oh, right. Your _that_ one. Well, let me just do a diagnostic of your potion. Avery and you should come up here in a few minutes and I will give you the results of how you did on your potion. Go clean up your cauldron and desk."

I walk back over to our desk, which is a surprisingly long walk to the professor's desk. "We have to go up there in a few minutes to get our results." I state. I stare at the cauldron, trying to remember if there is a spell that makes this any easier.

"It's too advanced magic for any first year to make things vanish, Chamberlain." Another Slytherin boy shouts at me, noticing my confused expression. I shrug and take off my gloves and lift the cauldron to a nearby sink, disposing of the potion in the easiest way. I then quickly scrub the cauldron, making sure that any traces of the potion is now gone.

When I return to our desk-with my cauldron already properly collapsed-I notice that Avery had cleared up the extra herbs and our work area was clean. He hands me my scale. "It's clean." I notice he bites back a remark that would be around the lines of: "_or as clean as it can be for a mudblood"_.

"Lets talk to Macmillan." I say abruptly. Keeping conversation to a minimum will definitely be the best route to passing potions this year.

We walk up to Professor Macmillan's desk. Side by side. Stepping together in rhythm. We get a number of odd glances: the mudblood and the leader of first year's purebloods. Definitely a rare occurrence.

We stand at the desk in silence for a few seconds as the professor continues to look down, focusing on the desk. I gently cough.

"Ah, Mr. Avery, Ms. Chamberlain." Professor Macmillan looks up at both of us beaming. "Quite remarkable your work today. I am surprised that you did so well on this, especially as a group project. Now, did either one of you do the majority of the work? I won't discredit either of you for telling the truth."

Avery and I had put equal work in. I kept my mouth shut, hoping that Avery would have the decency to do the same. I close my eyes, waiting for Avery to claim that he had done all the work. I wait for a blow to my ego that I should not be surprised about.

"No, sir. We did this together."

My eyes snap open.

"Ms. Chamberlain! Would you like to differ from Mr. Avery's story?"

"No, sir." I blush. "I'm sorry, sir."

"Not a problem, Ms. Chamberlain. Well, this is remarkable work. I am pleased that you two were able to work together so well, regardless of the circumstances outside of my class. Your potion would have exceeded the standards of the average drought. Yours would have lasted around two hours." I blink. "Your objects that help you sleep must have been very effective indeed. Twenty points to Slytherin. Each."

I can't help but grin. "You're excused from class, Mr. Avery and Ms. Chamberlain. The homework is to read about the _dormiens_ potion and the _dormiveris _herb. Also look at the forgetfulness potion and the components to that potion."

I nod and go back to our desk and gather up my belongings. I glance at my watch, which states it is eleven. I shrug my shoulders and leave the classroom and walk back to the dormitories.

Once I reach my room I empty out my bag. I take out my muggle novels and small toys. I hide them in my bureau and stuff them underneath clothing. Once I am satisfied with my bag's weight I place the books I need for the afternoon and the potions book in it. I keep my quill, ink, and parchment in a separate pocket. I then flop down on my bed, closing my eyes for a couple of moments, trying to relax, but as soon as I close my eyes I realize that I should be doing something else. I quickly rise, rubbing my eyes and fixing my braid and hat.

I hurry to the hall, hoping to beat the main crowd. I quickly sit down in my chair and mutter my name. The serving utensil appears again and I serve myself lunch, eating rather rushed. I wrap my sleeve around my hand and pour myself a cup of the drink, which I had heard is called pumpkin juice.

"Why are you trying?" I hear from my left, although I know no one is there.

"Trying what, Sir Richard?"

The ghost maneuvers himself so that he is now sitting across from me. I look up at him. "You're trying to prove that you are prim and proper. That there is nothing that anyone can complain about. But you know better, as do all of us. You know that there are things that you can't conceal about yourself. You have a temper, right? Quite a bad one, actually. You try to keep it hidden, but once in a while, you'll just lash out."

I bite my lip and break out eye contact. "How do you know that?"

"It is more of a question about why you are _you_." The ghost stares at me and tilts his head to one side. "But only time will tell. You remind me very much of a number of students who have passed through the halls. All similar to you, all determined…" His voice trails off. "Well, time will show us."

I feel as if I have only heard half of a conversation.

"Do not concern yourself." Sir Richard says, noticing my face. "Right now you should focus on your education and tapping into your potential."

"Thank you for your advice." I whisper. "And thank you for talking with me."

The ghost laughs. "Don't worry about that, young Slytherin. I promise you that you will prove your worth to this House soon enough, and it won't be just from using your brain to win us points."

I grin and go back to eating lunch with more gusto.

"Hello, my name is Professor Malfoy and I will be your Defense Against the Dark Art's professor for this term. I heard from Professor Macmillan that he gave you assigned seating, and I would like you to sit in the same pairs and you did earlier today. I would like to avoid idle chatter as much as possible. We will be learning about blocking harmful spells, jinxes, curses, and charms as well as different dark creatures. When appropriate, I will bring in examples of the creatures. Now please arrange yourselves accordingly."

This classroom has three rows of desks with four desks in each row. Avery and I quickly move towards our desk. The room is filled with different objects that seem as if they are used for protection against various creatures. Professor Malfoy stands in front of the classroom, behind his desk and has a large green chalkboard behind him. He glances around the classroom, making sure that we are all settled.

"Now who can tell me what a Cornish Pixie is…"

I stretch after walking out of the DADA class, yawning. Professor Malfoy instructed us to practice the _immobulus_ spell and to read the first chapter of the defense book. I follow my eight other Slytherin classmates-Goyle is still _unfortunately_ in the hospital wing-to Charms. I try to ignore the conversations between my classmates and how they throw dirty looks at me as we walk to the next class.

Hopefully there either won't be assigned seating or I won't get paired with Avery.

The nine of us enter the Charms classroom. I see a short, balding man standing on a crate behind his desk.

"Ah, the Slytherins. We've been expecting you. Now, just walk to your desk! The glowing sign will tell you where to sit and state your name into it!

I grin, recognizing the charm immediately.

I look around the classroom, searching for my name. This room has two sets of risers on either side of the room. The center of the room is completely clear and the professor's desk is at one end of the cleared area.

I take my seat, which is in the center of the risers that everyone is sitting on. I glance at the people sitting around me. On my left is Aaron Rosier, and to my right is a Ravenclaw girl, Kaitlyn Eggleston. Behind me is a Ravenclaw boy, Roderick Lowery. "Well, I am Professor Flitwick and I'll be your charms teacher. This classroom has been set up remarkably well for charms work since we have such a nice open space, which makes it easier not to get injured. Today we will begin with a levitation spell." In front of each of us appears a feather. "_Wingardium Leviosa_" he swishes and flicks his wand and the feather begins to float upwards.

We all repeat the phrase after he said it. "Begin!" He grins at us as we attempt this charm…

It wasn't surprising to find that our charms homework was to practice levitation charms and read about them in our book. I suppress a yawn as we walk to our last class of the day, Transfiguration with Hufflepuff. The classrooms are relatively close to each other and we get there without much of a rush. The classroom has desks spread throughout the classroom, and I await Professor Granger's assigned seating.

"Hello everyone, and welcome to Transfiguration One." She grins at all of us, and I can feel the Slytherin sneer, which, for once, isn't directed at me. "I have set up a seating charm, so all of you go to your seats." I quickly glance around the room looking for my seat and who my desk partner will be. I see that my seat is in the front row and that I will share my desk with Aaron Rosier.

I take the seat on the left side of the desk and quickly sit down. It is easier this way, so I don't knock elbows with the person I am sitting next to while taking notes. I quickly take out my class materials.

Professor Granger looks around the classroom quickly, making sure all of us are settled. I notice that she matched most of the Slytherins up with Hufflepuffs. I shrug and go back to paying attention.

"I am Professor Granger and I will be your Transfiguration Professor for most of this year. Professor McGonagall will be your professor for the end of the year and the exams." She grins at all of us. "Now, can anyone tell me either uses of transfiguration or basic techniques for transfiguration?"

I stare at my blade of grass that is supposed to become a pin. I follow the wand motion and state the words clearly, but the blade of grass only grays a bit and gets shinier. I look over at Rosier who is having the same difficulties as I am.

"One more try, Chamberlain." I whisper to myself. "You can do this…" I close my eyes and focus on the blade of grass. I can see it in my mind and as I do the wand motions I get the image of a pin replacing it: the green becomes silver, the grass rolls itself up and becomes round, the end points itself more…

I open my eyes and look down where the grass used to be.

A small silver snake has taken its place.

"Professor?" I quickly raise my hand as the snake slithers about on my textbook. I gasp and cover the grass-sized snake with a phial that I forgot to take out of my bag.

"What the…" I hear Rosier say. He continues to move his wand and his graying grass freezes. He then murmurs a curse that I wasn't aware purebloods knew.

"Yes, Ms. Chamberlain?"

"That isn't supposed to happen, right?" I point to where my silver snake is slithering around in the small area it has in the phial.

"That's interesting…" Professor Granger murmurs. "You weren't trying for a snake?"

I shake my head and whisper a "no."

Professor Granger points her wand at the snake and does a quick wand motion.

Nothing happens.

"Very interesting…" She looks at me. "How did you manage this?"

I blink and look down at the ground. "I don't know. I just closed my eyes and imagined the grass turning into a pin and did the wand motions. When I opened them there was a snake…"

Professor Granger looks around the classroom where none of us has managed to correctly transfigure the grass yet.

"Well, we'll just get a little cage for your snake and find out what it likes to eat…" Professor Granger shrugs. "There isn't much else we can do." She waves her wand and a new blade of grass floats into her hand. "You can try again on this." She waves her wand a second time and a small glass cage appears. "And put the snake in here. I think it will enjoy having more room to slither around on." I nod and take the grass and cage from her.

I whisper to the snake as I open the cage promising it that it will be okay. The small snake slides out of the phial and into my hand. I feel as if I can hear a small voice hissing its thanks as I gently place it in the cage.

"Your welcome," I hiss back. I notice that Rosier and the professor both stare at me for a second. I grip my wand in my left hand and continue to try to make the grass a pin.

I know I can transfigure now.

I keep my firm grip on the wand and stare intently on the blade of grass and swish my wand the way that is diagramed on the board. I concentrate on the grass becoming a pin, and I grin when I see it slowly becoming rounder and more pointed.

I lift the small sewing pin up and look at it. I examine it to make sure that it is a normal pin.

"Good job, Ms. Chamberlain. Ten points to Slytherin. You can try the reverse transfiguration now if you wish."

"Sure." I squeak out, surprised with myself.

"Can I also talk to you after class?" I quickly look up at the young Professor.

"Sure, Ma'am." She smiles at me.

"Mud-" Rosier is cut off by a glare from the Professor and a number of Hufflepuffs. "Chamberlain." He lowers his voice. "How did you do that?"

"Confidence is the biggest key. Just believe you can do it." I pause, trying to think of any better advice to give. "You just have to _know_ that you can do it."

I turn back towards my pin and stare at it and do the wand motion to reverse the transfiguration. The pin quickly loses its color and point. I smile when the same blade of grass returns.

I look over at Rosier and see that his grass is now a pin. "Wicked, right?"

Rosier looks around the classroom. "I don't need your compliments, _mudblood_."

I shrug my shoulders. "Sticks and stones can break my bones, but names will never hurt me."

I almost want to stick out my tongue to end my childish display, but I decide that the rhyme is enough. I quickly turn the grass back into a pin and then sit down at the desk and take out the transfiguration book.

"You wanted to talk, Professor?" I look around the empty classroom as I hold the cage and my bag.

"Yes." She sees my frightened look. "Don't worry, it has nothing at all to do with you creating a snake." I look at the cage, which now has a few rocks and blades of grass that the Professor conjured for it. "Can you try talking to it?"

I stare at her. "T-talk to it?"

"Ask your snake its name." Professor Granger shrugs. "Just see if it responds. And speak at a normal volume. No need to whisper."

I stare at her as if she is crazy, but I still place my hand into the cage and gently lift the snake so it is eye level with me.

"So, I am Chastity Chamberlain. What's your name?" I ask the snake.

The snake slithers around in my hand for a second before its eyes meet mine. Two small green gems. "I am Vipera Argentea, but you can call me Vipera." It hisses at me.

"You're female?" I ask.

"Yes. As are you?" The snake replies with, what I assume, is sarcasm.

I grin. "What do you like to eat?"

"At this point in time I don't need food. Don't worry, I'll let you know before I eat one of your friend's rats." Vipera replies.

"Well, I have to go to dinner myself. I'll put you in my room. Just tell me if there is anything that you need…"

Vipera bobs her head up and down. I lower her back into her cage.

Professor Granger is staring at me.

"What?" I ask, grinning.

"You are a parselmouth."

"A what?"

"You can speak to snakes. It's characteristic of…" Professor Granger pauses. "Well, of Dark wizards."

"Wasn't Harry Potter a parselmouth?"

"Was." The Professor runs a hand quickly through her hair. "He lost the ability with the death of Voldemort." She shrugs. "Not all parselmouths are Dark. It's just an oddity." She pauses once again. "And if you hear any voices that no one else can hear, please tell Professor Malfoy or me as soon as you can. Although hearing voices isn't a good thing, you may as a parselmouth."

I nod. "So if there is ever a large, mutant snake attack, I'll be able to tell you."

"Or something like that. You better go to dinner and get your homework done. I'd recommend working on transfiguring pebbles into buttons since you've gotten the pin and grass done."

"Thanks, Professor."

She just nods at me and I quickly hurry back to the dorm room. I take out Vipera and she wraps herself around my wrist, fitting like a small silver bracelet.

"I want to make sure you are safe," I hiss.

"I won't bite anyone, Chamberlain," she responds.

"Chastity, Vipera." I whisper. "Call me Chastity…"

If snakes could smile I know that this one would be grinning. She unwraps herself from my right wrist and slithers up a bit.

"Chastity." She murmurs. "That sounds nice."

I grin. "That it does."

**End Chapter**

**Yay, done with Chapter Three (finally). Thanks to everyone who read. My **_**official**_** word count is now around 17000, but fanfiction will probably only say 12000.**

**Thanks to those who have read. I'm sorry this took a bit longer that the one. I lacked my computer and internet for the last three days.**

**Small note: I am horrible at responding to reviews, but I will try to since I don't expect very many. : )**

**To IAMaMUDBLOOD: **_I don't really know yet whether she will end up being evil or not, but I am already sure about the ending to the series if I ever get there. I'm working on getting more of the Heir of Slytherin into the story. The idea is that she was given the powers to become the Heir of Slytherin the day that the final heir, Lord Voldemort, was reborn. Thanks for reading. : )_

**To and in kisses-consume: **_I will try to keep the professors as I have set them up and keep the old ones, but in some cases (aka Hermione) I will have to remove them for short spans so that I can keep to the plotline that Rowling has set up. (yay for the new generation)_

**Thanks to everyone else who has read! I hope that you will continue to read and, hopefully, enjoy it**

**Lots of Love  
**

**Li Kailun (the veggie vegetable)**


	4. Flying

**Heya again. Once again I don't really have much to say about this chapter. I'm skipping ahead a few weeks because otherwise this story will be moving too slowly for even me.**

**I am also pleased to say that I fixed the word count, so now what you read is the official number, and not the official number – four thousand.**

**I hope you enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I am not J. K. Rowling nor do I claim to be her. I do not own her characters, her world, or her spells. I would like to claim this plot as my own, but lots of people have similar ideas. Chastity Chamberlain, Daniel Avery, Aaron Rosier, and many other characters that you do not recognize are MINE. Vipera is mine. : )**

Chapter Four: Flying

I roll out of bed, falling gracefully to the floor. I follow my normal routine: grabbing a new set of clothes, taking a shower, making sure my hair isn't dyed an odd color…

I stare at my hair for a couple of seconds longer and then quickly braid it and plop my hat on my head ungracefully.

"Nothing is wrong, Chastity…" Vipera hisses at me as I reach into her case and she wraps herself around my wrist. "I will tell you when they prank you…"

I let my left thumb gently rub over Vipera's head. "I know, it's just something I like doing."

I begin to pack my bag for my classes.

"Saturday. You just have that flying thing today."

I murmur a curse. I have been dreading flying lessons as soon as I had heard about them. Gryffindor and Slytherin together for three hours every other Saturday until winter break, and if we _still_ aren't competent after break, Madame Hooch gives private lessons.

I quickly place my hand back into the cage. "You don't want to deal with this, Vipera. You will probably get squished or something."

"You should have a bit more faith in yourself…" is the quiet reply I hear. I grin. Vipera has been a source of confidence for me over the last two weeks. Every time I feel as if I am incapable of doing something, Vipera manages to help me overcome it. I had been having issues with memorizing historical facts, but Vipera quizzed me throughout the day and helped me learn the facts. She is my friend here and the only person who listens to me.

I haven't been able to speak to Rebecca and her friends since the sorting day. They grin at me in the hallways, but that is as far as our friendship goes…

I continue towards the Great Hall, still a bit earlier than everyone else. My housemates and I still don't get along very well. Avery and I have come to the point where we don't talk during potions, but rather gesture to different points in the instructions that we are at. The last time we attempted to talk was during the second day of doing the forgetfulness potion. We had succeeded on our first attempt, but Professor Macmillan was displeased with most of the class's results, so we redid the potion the next day…

_The two of us are working quickly and efficiently. I am cutting root of memoriam into seven equal-sized pieces while Avery is grinding the fingernails of a pixie._

_My hand slips and I cut at an angle, rather than straight down._

_The knife is quickly slapped from my hand._

"_Can't you do anything right, _mudblood_?" Avery shouts at me. "Now we won't have the root ready for the potion in time!" His blue-grey eyes flash with fury._

"_Oh, shut it." I whisper harshly at him. I gently place my left hand over my right wrist, where Vipera is hissing. "I can just trim a bit off the other roots to make them equal. And if we continue to fight we'll just have to start the potion over again anyway!"_

_I straighten up, trying to make myself taller than him to intimidate him. It doesn't work, since he is a good two inches taller than me. "You lose some of the magical power when you have to trim the root."_

_I fight the urge to roll my eyes. "And we'll lose the magical properties if we don't get back to work now, Avery."_

_He glares at me. "This is why _mudbloods_ shouldn't be allowed at this school. You are just too…"_

"_Too what?" I shriek in a whisper as I go back to trimming the root. "Dirty? Stupid? Naïve?" I pause. "Because as far as I can tell, there is no difference between some of the purebloods and myself. Other than who the hell our parents were."_

"_That is _exactly_ why you _mudbloods_ don't belong. You don't understand. You can't comprehend the order that things belong in."_

"_Avery, Chamberlain! Why is your potion black?" Professor Macmillan snaps both of us back into reality._

_The two of us look at each other, but neither of us have an explanation for our ruined potion that would be acceptable. "Next time make your potions, do not talk." Professor Macmillan points his wand at our cauldron and mutters "_Scorgify"_ and the cauldron returns to its empty state._

Defense Against the Dark Arts was worse. We practiced curses and countercurses on each other. I am positive that half of the curses Avery used on me we wouldn't find in any of our textbooks for a number of years, if we did find them at all.

Rosier had begun to ignore my advice during Charms and Transfiguration. He would sometimes murmur comments when I did something incorrectly about how to correct it, so I did the same. I return favors, regardless if they were meant to be insults.

I sit down at the table and look around at my fellow housemates. The other three boys left me alone, but they are divided as Avery and Rosier's followers. Rosier is the intellectual in the boy section of the house, while I have gained the reputation as the know-it-all for the Slytherin girls, although I am not the best in History of Magic, Astronomy, or Defense Against the Dark Arts.

The other girls in the house ignore me for the most part, but are willing to ask me for help in academic classes. The snake incident helped me seem more deserving of being in Slytherin, since I did create a living symbol of the House of Slytherin.

I serve myself a waffle and place four strawberries on the side of the plate. I stare at my food and begin eating.

I will still eat a decent breakfast even though I can sense impending doom.

"Half of magic is confidence, Chamberlain…" I whisper to myself. Confidence has become my middle name…

"Chastity?" I turn around and I see a humble group of Hufflepuffs.

"Yeah?" I look around the group and notice the twins, Abigail and Blair McHarg, Joshua Worth, and Evan Andrews.

"We were wondering if you could help us with our History of Magic homework after breakfast?"

I look at the group of them apologetically. "I'm sorry, but we have flying lessons for the entire morning today…"

The twins look at each other. "Oh…Well, if we still need your help can we talk with you at lunch?"

I shrug. "If I have the time."

Evan smiles. "That's all we ask. Thank you, Chastity."

"Chamberlain." I respond. "Everyone here calls me Chamberlain. Chastity is my muggle name."

The four of them look at each other, surprised. "You _want_ to be called Chamberlain?" Worth asks.

I shrug my shoulders. "I'm used to Chamberlain now."

The four of them nod and return to their table.

"Chamberlain, eh?"

I smile as Sir Richard floats to his typical seat across from me. "I don't need pity."

The Bloody Baron stares at me again. "I _don't_ think they were pitying you, Chamberlain. I think they were trying to get you to do their homework."

I shrug my shoulders. "Well, they were trying to soften me up to their whims." I grin. "I never thought I would be glad to have flying."

Sir Richard shakes his head. "Well, good luck with that. I never quite mastered broomsticks myself. But they are useful, and broomsticks have improved since I used them." He grins and I return his smile.

"Well…" I look down at my half-eaten waffle. "I think that's all I am going to be able to eat today. I'm sure that I will get motion sickness or something equally bad."

"Good luck, Chamberlain."

-----

I step onto the field and watch as my classmates quickly group together in their typical groups. The Lestranges and Goyle stand together and look around as if they are plotting the demise of all of the Gryffindors. I know that they couldn't plot the demise of a woodchuck if they had anti-freeze, so I wasn't concerned. Avery, Mulciber, Carrow and Rosier seem to be chummier than usual and were discussing their "quidditch" abilities.

Howard and Quincy both stood alone to one side, but Carrow and Mulciber break off from the Avery group to go talk with them.

The Gryffindors all huddle together.

I sigh and wish I wasn't concerned for Vipera's life. At least then I could have someone to talk to as I fell off a broom and broke a couple of limbs.

A stern woman with startling yellow-orange eyes that reminded me of an owl walked out of the nearest building.

"I am Madame Hooch and I will instruct you on how to fly on a broom. I don't care how many years you have been flying on a broom or how you will be the next Viktor Krum, you _will not_ skip any step in learning about proper broom usage!" She glares over all of us. "If you do, I will punish you." She points at the pile of broomsticks that she had floated behind her when she came outside to the quad area. "Everyone take a broomstick. They are all the same." I waited for the crowd to thin before I grabbed a broomstick.

When my fingers touched the wood I felt a jolt of electricity. I almost drop the broomstick, but instead I move to the place in the two lines that Madame Hooch had set up for us. "Everyone, place the broomsticks on the ground under your main hand." There is a rustling of robes as all of us move to place the broom on the ground. "Now stick your hand directly over the broom and say 'up'!"

I close my eyes and take a deep breath. I steadily stick out my left hand and try to believe in myself. "UP!" I say a bit too fiercely, but my broom zooms up to my hand.

I stare at my left hand and then the ground. I _shouldn't_ be able to do that. I look around me and notice that a few of my housemates are as surprised as I am. Duncan Lestrange's broomstick managed to light on fire, while Harriet Lestrange's broomstick zoomed up and struck her in the nose. She yelps in pain and quickly grabs her nose in pain.

"STOP!" Madame Hooch yells and everyone yields shouting. "Lestrange and Reed, both of you go to the hospital wing." Madison Reed, a Gryffindor, had her broomstick batting her over the head and had gained a number of lumps on her head as a result. Madame Hooch then stuck her wand at Duncan Lestrange's broom and a jet of water quickly doused the flames.

"That was one of the more interesting experiences that I have had as a Professor here." She says sarcastically. "And that isn't a good thing. Everyone place your broomsticks on the ground again." We all follow her orders. "You!" She points at Rosier. "And you!" She points at Avery. Her eyes scan the class and land on me. "You too!" I quickly stand a bit straighter. "Grab your brooms and stand over here with me." The three of us quickly comply.

"These are the only three people to get the broom to go up to their hands automatically. You may say that the broom doesn't obey you as well as the one that you are used to and that is true. But, if I may, what is the use of being able to ride a broom if you can only do it on _one _broom. You can't always carry your broom around with you in case of emergency. Even if you did…" Madame Hooch pauses. "It is still likely that your broom would break, get stolen, or get confiscated.

"So _that_ is why we are using these brooms that have been here for longer than I have been here." She looks at the three of us and then lowers her voice. "You three, how much experience do you have?"

Avery shrugs. "A lot. I played recreational quidditch since I was five."

Rosier nods. "Me too."

Hooch glances at me. I stare at her in shock. "I'm a muggle-born, Professor." I make my face into a half smile. "I've never been on a broom. Sorry?"

"And all of you are in Slytherin?" She asks. The three of us nod. "Well, when you are old enough to be on the quidditch team, I think you will be unstoppable."

She pauses. "I am going to break the class into four smaller groups to work on the "up" command. You will each be in charge of four of your classmates. Try to correct them on the proper way to command the broom to come to them."

I quickly raise my hand. "I hate to be annoying, but can I get Gryffindors?" Avery scoffs at me. "I don't want any of those responses."

Hooch nods. "Okay. Avery!" Avery steps forward. "The following four people will be working with Avery: Patrik Thoreau, Alessandra Quincy, Elizabeth Griffith, and Sean Carrow." The four of them huddle around Avery. "Rosier! The next four are with him. Henry Oswald, Jeremy Mulciber, Duncan Lestrange, and Jessica Howard." The next four went and joined Rosier in a different corner of the field. "Chamberlain! Michael Pickett, Christopher Emerson, Julia Lee, and Kyra Cambridge. You're with her, go to the other corner." I waved and they walk over to me. "The rest of you are with me!"

The four of them gather around me and I smile. "Everyone have their broom?" They nod. "How much experience do each of you have?"

Julia Lee, the tall girl with shoulder-length curly, brown hair grins at me. "Same as you, Captain Chamberlain." She mock salutes me and I return her smile.

The orange haired girl glances down at the ground for a few seconds before responding. "I'm a bit of a klutz and my parents wouldn't let me anywhere near their brooms." She blushes and makes eye contact with me. "It's embarrassing because both of them were on professional teams."

Pickett, the shortest of the group, had black hair and grins at me. "I have some experience, but I am used to my Nimbus." I stare at him blankly for a few seconds. "It's a type of broom."

I quickly nod, and lay my eyes on Emerson, the blond. "I've been playing quidditch since I was born. It is just a fluke that I didn't get the broom up on my first try."

I shrug my shoulders. At least one of them isn't lacking the proper amount of confidence to get the broomstick off the ground. "Well, all of you stand in a line opposite of me and place your broomstick underneath your main hand." I am surprised when all of them quickly follow my orders. I place the broomstick underneath my own hand. I close my eyes for a second. "Now steadily stick your hand out over the broom and state "up"!"

I stick my left hand out and stiffly command "up!" The broom zooms up to my hand just as it had done earlier.

Each of them tries as well. Cambridge's broomstick seemed to be a mix of emotions: it wanted to move to her hand while it seemed frightened of the girl. It hovered about two feet off the ground and tried to decide where it wanted to go.

Lee's broomstick rolled over a couple of times and then jumped off the ground and landed back in its original location.

Pickett did the best of the four of them. His broomstick, although hesitant at first, gently hovered to his hand. He grins and places the broomstick back on the ground again and tries the command again. This time the broomstick seems a bit more willing to go to his hand.

Emerson's broom zoomed up to his hand on his first try, but when he tried to grip the broom itself it zoomed a few feet above his head and the fell, smacking him in the head.

"Stop!" All of the brooms fall to the ground and Emerson rubs his head where the broom struck him.

"Nice job there, Pickett." The boy shrugs his shoulders at me and gives me a half-grin. "Now, from what I've seen from you guys." I look at Cambridge and Lee. "You are lacking confidence. From what I've seen in our first two weeks here, half of magic is believing in yourself. You have to convince yourself that you are capable of something, no matter how unlikely it seems." I grin. "I mean, look at me. I think I win the most unlikely award here."

The two girls nod, understanding. "I want you two to try that. I think the same goes for you, Pickett. You have convinced yourself that your Nimbus is the only way for you to fly, but, from what I've seen, your concerns are not justified."

I finally turn to Emerson. "I'm not lacking the skills. This broomsticks must just be cursed, mudblood."

Pickett and Cambridge both glare at Emerson. Lee looks confused, unaware what the "insult" meant. I tilt my head to one side and try to make the best of my short height. I look at Emerson directly in the eye and open my mouth to speak: "Actually, I think your broom is scared of your ego. I don't think it can keep both of you airborne at the same time. Try to keep it in check and you might get some control over the broom."

Cambridge and Pickett turn their glare into a shocked look and stare at me, Lee stifles a giggle, and Emerson looks outraged. "How dare you…"

I shrug my shoulders nonchalantly. "You started with the name calling. Now can you please calm down and try again?"

Lee, Pickett, and Cambridge all quickly place their broomsticks on the ground and try again. The brooms all make contact with their hands. Lee looks surprised, Cambridge looks pleased, and Pickett just grins. "Nice job, teach." Pickett states. He turns to the girls. "Lets continue to practice until Madame Hooch lets us learn the next step in this process." The two of them nod.

Emerson glares at me. "Your broomstick isn't cursed. Let me use it."

I shrug my shoulders and trade the broomsticks with the egotistical git. I place the broom under my left hand again and use the command. It connects with my hand as evenly as it had the first two times.

"Your turn." I whisper at Emerson, almost wishing that Vipera were here so that she could hiss to me about how she is going to bite the kid.

The blond glares at me and places the broom on the ground. "Up!" He says harshly. The broomstick zooms to above his head.

"Stop!" I shout. The broom drops to the ground, avoiding Emerson's head this time. "Try using a calmer tone of voice. Coax the broom to come up to your hand, don't threaten it."

I feel the boy's eye roll, but he gently states "up". This time the broom zooms to his hand and stops there.

"Good job!" I grin at Emerson who just glares at me. I bite back a comment about how he can join the "Club against Chamberlain" that the Slytherins had been making badges for, but I decide that would be a bit too sarcastic for a kid I don't know that well. I look around. "Well, it looks like we're reforming as a big group now."

My "students" all rush back, except Lee. "Chamberlain?"

"Yeah?" I ask.

"I just wanted to apologize for Emerson's behavior. He had no right to call you…"

I shrug my shoulders. "I'm used to the term mudblood because it is nothing more than a word for me. I am sure that for some people it has some pain attached to it, but words are just words. It's juvenile."

Lee grins at me. "Well, if you ever need a friend, I'll be here. And if you ever have any problems with Slytherins, just tell me. Kyra…" She sees my confused look. "Cambridge's family has been in Slytherin for a pretty long time. She has two older brothers and an older sister who are all at Hogwarts right now."

I shrug my shoulders. "I appreciate the gesture, but…"

"You'd rather handle it on your own. I understand." Lee smiles at me. I feel small next to this girl who all of a sudden was so nice to me.

"Julia?" I ask quietly. "You can call me Chastity."

The girl grins at me. "Thanks, Chamberlain." She pauses and tilts her head to the side as we walk. "But I think right now both of us prefer you being called Chamberlain."

I smile and we get in range of Madame Hooch. Her piercingly orange eyes look around the group. "I am glad that all of you are back now. Everyone line up again in those two lines. Avery, Chamberlain, Rosier." She points the three of us in a row in front of us. "I want you three to do the "up" command and then grip the broomsticks. I will inspect your grips!" She turns to everyone else. "We will be working on our grip next. I will inspect each one of your grips. I don't care if it is the way that you've been doing it for the last eleven years. I will teach you the way that broomsticks have been gripped for the last eleven hundred."

I blush as I see everyone's eyes on the three of us. I place the broomstick on the ground again and doubt myself for not asking Hooch if I could sit out now that we were learning more technical stuff about flying. I know nothing. Madame Hooch blows her whistle and the three of us shout "up!" My broomstick flies up to my hand. I quickly grab it with my left hand and place my right hand about four inches above my right hand. I wrap my fingers around the handle.

Madame Hooch walks towards us. She starts with me first, since I am the closest to her. "Interesting, Chamberlain. Are you sure that you've never used a broom before."

"Only to clean the floor, Madame Hooch." I say with a small grin on my face.

Avery snorts, a mix of a laugh and a scoff. "Well, your grip would probably be slightly better if you were on the broom. Try to keep your two hands closer together and move your hands closer to the end. I know that you are a bit too short to fix that…" I grimace and stand on my tiptoes. Rosier snorts this time.

Madame Hooch reprimands Rosier because he had the wrong hand on the top of the broom, his right hand rather than his left, and she told Avery that he needed more of a relaxed grip, but his was acceptable.

It would take a number of minutes before she finished checking everyone else's grip. Rosier and Avery speak with each other in hushed whispers. I pretend not to care, but I have nothing better to do than to eavesdrop.

"So do you think it's true?"

"What? That she's not a mudblood, of course not."

"But look at her…" Rosier whispers. "She has all of the characteristics of a pureblood. She knows more things naturally than a mudblood who is curious usually knows…"

"Trust me, she's a mudblood." Avery whispers back harshly. "Maybe a mudblood who has been involved in our world before, but she's a mudblood."

I give out a small cough, not to bring attention to myself, but to quiet them down a bit.

I didn't feel as if I had any rights to hear their conversation about me. I would rather not hear their speculations and then worry about them for a while than to just worry about what their speculations might be.

The two glace at me and quiet their whispers so that I can't hear them anymore. I release my grip on the broom and just hold it in my left hand. I watch as Madame Hooch reaches the last girl, Sophia Longstreet, and fixes her grip.

Madame Hooch walks back over to the three of us. I glance at my watch and notice that two hours have already passed since we began this lesson. "Okay, mount your brooms and kick off. Hover about two feet off the ground and then come immediately back down!"

I nod and readjust my grip. I place the broom parallel to the ground and step over it. I place my feet on the ground and push. The broom quickly moves upwards. I stop the broom at the appropriate point. I grin, wanting to continue flying around the large field, but I remember our instructions and tilt the broom's handle so that it lowers itself to a reasonable height.

Madame Hooch nods at the three of us. "You guys can go over to the other side of the field and practice flying around. I don't want you to fool around! If I hear about any of you trying to hurt another, I will make sure that today will be one of your last!" She glares piercingly at all of us, and we all nod our heads and head to the other side of the field.

The three of us quickly kick off the ground again and I grin as I feel the wind blow through my hair, taking some random strands from my braid and whipping them around my face.

"Impressed, Chamberlain?" Rosier shouts at me.

I just grin and stop my broom's movement. "This is fantastic." I pause, looking at the two other boys. "Do you guys have tag in the wizarding world?"

The two of them look at me with befuddled looks. "Tag?" Avery asks.

"Well, it's a muggle game. One person is "it" and that person chases around the other players. When the person who is "it" touches someone _that_ person becomes "it"." I shrug my shoulders. "I think it might be fun to try on broomsticks. We just won't try to knock each other off."

The two boys look at each other as if a _muggle_ game wouldn't be worth their time. "I understand if you don't want to play because its muggle or because I'm a mudblood. I just thought that it might add a bit of challenge to flying right now."

Avery dashes off flying away as Rosier rushes towards me and taps me on the head. "You're it, Chamberlain."

I continue to sit there for a few seconds on my broom, confused about what happened and then chase after the boys…

-----

My feet gently touch the ground and I wobble for a few seconds and try to get used to the feeling of my feet on solid ground.

Rosier and Avery are still shoving each other every few seconds, transferring being "it" to one another. I suppress a grin.

As we near the rest of the group, Rosier and Avery quickly stop shoving each other and distance themselves from me. I feel slightly disappointed. I thought that after introducing to a muggle game that all of us had fun playing that they would be a bit more accepting towards me. But I was wrong. It seems as if the game had made them even more prejudiced against me.

I tuck some of my hair behind my ears and place my pointed hat back on my head. It had fallen off at some point while playing tag.

Madame Hooch gives some final words to the class and tells us to come back in two weeks to continue our lessons. "Avery, Rosier, Chamberlain. Stay behind for a few minutes!"

I quickly look at the ground, hoping that she didn't see tag as a way for us to try to shove each other off the brooms. Sure, I had fallen off once, but it was close enough to the ground that it didn't actually hurt.

I quickly rub my elbow that had connected with the ground and look at Rosier and Avery. Avery seems to pale quite a bit and Rosier looks a lot more tired than he did a couple of seconds earlier.

"I am sure that all of you know the rule about first years not being allowed broomsticks." I look at the other two who were both nodding. I hadn't known about the rule because a broomstick wasn't one of the top ten items on my list. "Well, I think I am going to talk to Professor McGonagall. I don't think I can convince her to let you three on the Slytherin team, but I think she might be willing to let you three practice with each other, and maybe practice with the Slytherin team as reserves." She glances at Avery and Rosier. "As much as I want my old house, Hufflepuff, to win the Cup…" She pauses. "Slytherin has great assets with the three of you and I want all of you to be able to play next year." She looks at me. "And I want Chamberlain to learn about the rules of Quidditch. She needs to know what each of the positions is and the rules. That's up to you, Avery and Rosier."

I stare at her in surprise. Rosier quickly raises a hand. "So, can we have our parents ship us brooms?"

Madame Hooch stares at him. "I think Professor Malfoy has a few Nimbus 2001's that are in pretty good condition. I will ask him if it is okay for you to use them. If not, then the school will provide you with broomsticks. Don't ask your parents about shipping you a broomstick!"

"When will we practice?" I quickly ask. "And when will we find out if we are allowed to?"

Madame Hooch fastens her orange eyes on me. I feel as if I am under a microscope. "You will find out in the next week during mail call. If the Headmistress and Professor Malfoy pass this, then you will receive your broomstick for the year and a note informing you when you should practice." She glances at the three of us. "Remember that this will be a _privilege _for you. I would request that you keep it quiet and if anyone asks, say that you are taking extra lessons in History of Magic." The hawk-eyed woman shrugs her shoulders. "It is very rare that students can stay awake during that class, so it gives you the perfect excuse."

Avery finally speaks. "So we will practice every week for an hour or two? The same time every week?"

"Yes, Avery. I would also prefer it if you _stuck_ to this schedule of practicing. Once again, this is a _privilege_."

"Thank you, Professor." The three of us chorus.

"Now hurry on and get to lunch!" She shoos us.

"I've never heard of anyone getting recruited for a house team by someone out of the house. Especially a first year…" Rosier whispers.

"Don't complain…" I whisper back. "I am just happy I can have the chance to fly on a regular basis…"

The two boys glance at me, glaring for a few seconds. Don't speak unless you are spoken to, Chamberlain.

"Well, thank you for…" I pause. "For forgetting I was a mudblood for a couple of minutes today." I screw up my face. "Or, if you didn't forget, treating me like I deserved to be here."

The two boys are stunned into a silence and I shrug my shoulders and continue to the Great Hall. I heard that there was chocolate mousse for lunch today…

-----

I stare at my hands during breakfast, extremely tired for a Monday morning. I had finished all of my homework on Saturday, although I did ignore the Hufflepuff group's pleas for help. I spent Sunday in the Library, reading everything I could on Quidditch. I only left for lunch and dinner, and Madame Pince had to chase me out that evening.

Instead of sleeping, I used the _lumos_ spell and read a muggle book underneath my covers, until the grandfather clock in our room tolled twelve times and the face now read "Go to sleep, silly Slytherin."

This morning, Vipera is hissing random words at me, insulting me for not going to sleep after the fifth time she told me to. I just cover my eyes with my left hand and try to ignore her annoyance.

I look up and see Vesperi land at our table like she does every morning. I quickly place a bit of eggs and bacon on my plate, which Vesperi has grown to like. I gently pat her head and take the package and letter from her leg. Vesperi gently nibbles on my hand and then flies back to the owlery.

I open the letter and place the package into my bag.

_Dear Ms. Chamberlain,_

_It has come to our attention that you and two of your fellow students are rather proficient in the art of flying. As Headmistress, I give you permission to practice on Wednesday evenings from 7:00 to 9:00. The other professors have been told about your situation. Also, if you and your classmates need to study or have other plans for a night, you may practice on Sunday afternoons, but only after you have told Madame Hooch, Professor Malfoy, or me._

_The package contains your broomstick. It is transfigured to look like a small replica of a broomstick, but once you return to your room, it should return to its normal size. Professor Malfoy insisted that we would get the three of you the _best_ broomstick. This is the newest from the _Firebolt _company: a _Phoenix 500.

_Please do not tell any of your other classmates about this situation. The Captain of the Slytherin team, Marissa Kennicot, has also been informed about you and your classmates. She will attend your practices until she finds you fit to practice on your own and finds positions that you can substitute for on the Slytherin team._

_Remember, this is a privilege for you and the fewer people know, the better._

_Sincerely,_

_Minerva McGonagall_

_Hogwarts Headmistress_

I quickly read the letter over again and grin at Vipera, feeling a new wave of energy wash into me. "Well, look at that!"

"I told you so." Vipera hisses. "I told you that you wouldn't be horrible. You just need to believe in yourself."

My grin fades a bit, and I continue to eat my breakfast. I remember that I have double potions first. I am not sure about how Avery will react to a mandatory two more hours with me.

At least today is a note-taking day and not a potions practice day…

-----

I roll my head in my hands. Professor Flitwick's words aren't staying in my head for the first time this year. I tried breathing techniques, but nothing seems to focus me on the words that he is uttering. I feel as if there are a thousand tiny voices in the back of my head, each one whispering. They overpower Flitwick's voice. They are telling me to attack something. They tell me that _she_ is at Hogwarts. They tell me that Slytherin's heir has finally arrived. They tell me Slytherin _has_ an heir. A living heir.

"Can you hear that?" I hiss out.

Rosier stares at me as if I am crazy. Vipera squeezes my wrist. "I can hear them too…"

"You can't hear that?" I ask in a whisper that doesn't come out as a hiss.

Rosier lifts an eyebrow. "Oh, that's what you said. Couldn't understand a word there. The only voices I hear is my own and Flitwick's. Now get back to taking notes, Chamberlain."

I nod and shove the voices to the deepest depths of my mind. I only have to survive this class and then I can tell Professor Granger. It won't be that difficult…

_She can hear us…_

I hear one clear voice, breaking out from the other ones.

_She understands us… _

I close my eyes. Ignore the voice, Chastity. You can do this. I glance at my watch and see the second's hand slowly ticking away what seems likes minutes.

I drop my quill onto the parchment and Vipera untangles herself from my wrist and slips into a pocket in my robes. I massage my head and rub my eyes, hoping that something will get rid of the voices.

"Class dismissed!"

"Mudblood!" I turn and look at Rosier. I remove my hands from my face. "Are you okay?"

"Fine." I whisper. "I just didn't sleep very much last night."

Rosier snorts out a half laugh. "I've never heard voices when I pulled an all-nighter. But you don't have to tell me." He shoves a parchment into my hand. "Just give these back to me before class tomorrow."

He rushes off to our next class and I stare at my desk and the parchment in my hands. His class notes.

I slowly wake up from my stupor and let a small smile appear on my lips. I throw my stuff into my bag, but carefully fold the parchment and place it into my pocket. Vipera crawls back out and wraps herself around my wrist again.

-----

"Professor Granger…" I start.

"I noticed you were a bit distracted today. I hope that it doesn't have anything to do with flying." She grins at me, as if remembering something from when she went to Hogwarts.

"No…" I pause. "No, you told me to come to you if I heard anymore voices."

Her smile quickly fades. "What did it say?"

I shrug my shoulders. "I couldn't really make out a lot. There were many voices. Hundreds if I were to guess. They all were saying different ideas, but they quieted after a while and they realized that someone could hear them…"

Professor Granger places a hand on her chin. "Well, I could be jumping to conclusions, but I would assume that they are talking about you…"

"No!" I say quickly. "They couldn't have been. They were talking about other things. Something about an heir of Slytherin. I'm completely muggle-born. There is no possible way that I am the heir of Slytherin. They must be talking about someone else."

Professor Granger's smile completely is gone and now her normally glowing face is contorted into a face filled with contemplation and worry. "They used the term "Heir of Slytherin"?"

"Yes, Professor."

She blinks for a few seconds and then forces a smile. "There isn't much that we can do. Just try to ignore those voices. Pretending like they are two gossiping girls who are talking during class. Try not to let them interfere with your studies." She pauses, gather together a bag. "Go on to dinner. I will tell you if I think of anything that might be able to help you."

I shrug. "I might not have gotten enough sleep. I'll go to bed earlier and hopefully that will help the voices go away."

"Hopefully…" Professor Granger echoes.

She looks at me for a couple of seconds. "Everything will be fine, Chastity. Go on to dinner. Practice rice to pebble transfigurations."

I nod and suppress a yawn. "Thank you, Professor…"

She gives me a curt nod and rushes out of the classroom.

"There is something she isn't telling you, Chastity…" hisses Vipera.

"I know." I hiss back. "I intend to find out, but not now." I suppress another yawn. "I'm not ready yet."

Vipera nods and curls around my wrist, falling into a peaceful slumber…

**End Chapter Four**

**Hehe I didn't know exactly where to end that chapter. Thanks for reading. I'll work on getting the next chapter up as soon as possible.**

**Although I am able to update rather regularly right now, in about a month I will begin to update a bit slower. In around nine days I will be going on a rafting trip with my class to celebrate our Senior year. The beginning of this year will be filled with the joys of SATs, applications, and my Physics SAT II. I'm planning on finishing as much as I can before the year starts so I can concentrate on doing my best in my classes.**

**Sorry to bug you guys about that. I just wanted to warn you guys in advance. Thanks for the nine people to read the last chapter. Once again I will try to respond to reviews, but I am remarkably bad at that. : )**

**To and in kisses-consume:**_Thanks for the compliments. I'm glad that you liked the green-hair bit. I think that I have a lot of the first story plotted out now that I know who the major enemy will be at the end of the story and I have a few events in between set out in my mind. I hope you continue to enjoy the story: )_

**To IAMaMUDBLOOD:** _I'm glad that you enjoyed the last chapter as well! I think that Chastity being a parselmouth (I think that is the right spelling…or so wikipedia tells me) will be one of the more obvious of her "powers" as the heir. I have another one up my sleeve for the end of this section of her tale… I'm also glad that you like Chamberlain's personality. It makes her more fun to write for. Plus it makes me happy not to write about a depressed kid (which is my other major project I'm working on right now…)_

Anyway, I hope that all of you enjoyed that and I will try to get the next chapter up as soon as possible. I hope that none of you are annoyed at how slowly the school year is progressing…

**Thanks for reading!**

**Lots of Love,**

**Li Kailun (The Veggie Vegetable)**


	5. Are you sure it wasn't a girly scream?

**Hi everyone again! I don't have much to say, once again. I am starting this chapter "early" again.**

**Disclaimer: I am just a seventeen year old who does not claim any rights to owning the Hogwarts Universe. Do not sue me. I don't own Minerva McGonagall, Draco Malfoy, Hermione Granger, and many other characters (mainly the professors right now). I do own Chastity Chamberlain, Daniel Avery and Aaron Rosier, as a number of other characters in this story that you do not recognize. Vipera the snake is mine as well! I wish I owned the plot line, but this is a common idea that many people would have. I have, however, not read any of those stories to try to keep the ideas presented in this story as mine and my own.**

**Note: I _cannot_ write in Hagrid's accent well enough to do it justice. I may try on a few words, but I don't believe that I can do it in the way that J. K. Rowling does it… I apologize in advance.**

**Note 2: Title of this chapter belongs to whoever owns the X-Files. Season Three, evil, metal cockroaches humor**

**Feel free to flame me. : **)

Chapter Five: Are You Sure it Wasn't a Girly Scream?

"And that is how you transfigure a match into a needle." I whisper to myself, pleased with my work of the day. I had survived a History of Magic class, Transfiguration, and a cup of tea with Hagrid and Professors Granger and Malfoy. Tea with Hagrid is always interesting because his teacakes could be considered by some to be biohazard materials, but, ignoring his culinary skills, he is a very nice man, and probably the only human I can call my friend at this place.

_At breakfast I had gotten a notice from Professor Malfoy telling me that instead of going to lunch, Professor Granger, Hagrid, and he were meeting me for tea at Hagrid's hut. I had been concerned at first because I was meeting with two of my professors, but I realized, with some convincing from Vipera, that I had nothing to be worried about._

"_Chastity, would you like another cup of tea?" Hagrid held out his rather large black tea pot. I grinned and accepted the tea willingly. Although the food was inedible, the tea made up for the rock cakes._

_Hagrid looked around the room. "Professors Granger and Malfoy should be here soon enough, don't you worry, Chamberlain." He patted my head, his hand engulfing my entire head._

_I smiled as I recognized the gesture of affection that my father would use. I continued to dump my cake into the tea, hoping that it would soften it enough for me to be able to nibble on the edge a bit._

_It was, after all, still lunch…_

_Professors Granger and Malfoy walked in then. "Hi, Hagrid!" Professor Granger squeaked and quickly hugged the giant of a man._

"_How are you doing, Hermione?"_

_Professor Malfoy looked around the small hut, very stiffly. "Hello, Hagrid."_

_Hagrid gave Malfoy a curt nod. "Malfoy." He glanced around his hut. "Oh, where are my manners? Both of you, take a seat!" He quickly cleared off three more chairs by the table and sat down._

_Professor Granger quickly summoned a plate filled with sandwiches. "It's not Hogwarts quality, but we don't want you to only have sweets for lunch…" I smiled gratefully at the Transfiguration teacher._

"_So, how are you, Chastity?" Hagrid asked me. "Everyone treating you all right up there?"_

_I shrugged my shoulders. "I leave them alone, they leave me alone. Nothing I can't handle."_

_I saw Hagrid trying to formulate the words for his next comment. Professor Malfoy quickly took over. "It's come to Hagrid and Professor Granger's concerns that you…" He paused, as if he was about to step on a sheet of very thin ice. "You aren't _socializing _enough with your fellow housemates."_

_I looked at Professor Malfoy. "You were a Slytherin, right?" He nodded his head. "Then you should understand what the opinion of my housemates is of me." I chewed on my lip for a second. "I don't want them to lose friends or reputation because they befriend me. I am going to prove myself worthy of the Slytherin House." I looked away from him and back at my cup of tea, staring at my own reflection. I noticed how my silvery hair was falling out of my braid, and my green eyes looked wearier than ever._

_I stared at my cup. "But I think that learning Quidditch will help." I glanced back up for a few seconds, catching all three pairs of eyes before looking back down. "I think that Avery and Rosier are warming up to me."_

_Professor Granger laughed briefly. "I am sure they are. I heard that a number of students in the other houses…" She searched for the right word. "Are torn between respect and fright."_

_I shrugged again. "Well, I am sure that this isn't the only reason why we are having lunch."_

_Hagrid just gave me a big smile. "Well, I invited you over because you haven't visited since last Friday when you complained to me about flying."_

_I laughed, and thanked Hagrid._

_Professor Malfoy then begins to speak. "We heard about the incident on Monday, and Professor Granger and I have been researching different things that the…" he paused. "Well, what we assume are snakes were talking about."_

_The female Professor quickly took over. "And we haven't really come up with much in regards to the heir of Slytherin part of the speech." She glanced at Hagrid. "The last time there was an "heir of Slytherin" it was a memory of the last known heir taking over a first year."_

"_We don't think that is the case this time." Professor Malfoy speaks again. "We know that the memories have been destroyed, as has the man himself. We just need you to promise that if you hear the voices again to _immediately_ come to one of us."_

"_Yes, sir." I mock saluted them. "Anything else?"_

"_No, Chastity. You can go back to the building. I'll see you in Transfiguration later."_

"_And don't forget about your first practice!" Professor Malfoy grinned. "I think that those broomsticks will be a remarkable surprise for you."_

I grin as I pack up my bag. I toss my transfiguration notes and textbook into my bag. I pocket my wand and toss my bag over my shoulder. I pause, looking around the classroom and realize that, once again, I am the last person to leave the class.

I bite back my grimace and quickly go over my homework for the day: practice the rock to rice transfiguration, write up the different uses for a _vertibus _herb and read about the herb itself, write a brief essay on Merlin, and practice the "giggling" charm. The boys weren't too pleased when they learned that we would be practicing a "giggling" charm, since most of them are _much _too "manly" to do something like giggling.

I quickly set a study schedule in my head to follow. I am almost certain that I will have to put off the Charms and Transfiguration practice and instead focus on the written assignments.

I close my eyes and quickly think about the math textbook sitting underneath my bed, gathering a thin layer of dust.

"I really need to do some arithmetic…" I whisper to myself, thinking about how Chad will ask me to help him study when I come home for break.

I walk to the Great Hall, as I do three times everyday and, as always, I _think_.

I've been thinking too much.

Stopping, I rub my eyes with my left hand. Yes, I told the Professors that I was perfectly happy without my housemates being the slightest bit friendly, but really. What else could I have told them? It annoys me that Muggle-borns and purebloods aren't seen as equals. That would definitely go over well with someone like Professor Malfoy…

I return to my brisk walking speed, hurrying to the Great Hall. If I finish dinner quickly, I can get a decent tree to sit under while I do my homework, and then I won't have to rush outside for flying practice.

I hurry to my seat as I always do, but when I reach there, Vipera hisses: "they've rigged it, Chastity."

I stare at my chair, hoping to see what was wrong with it, but I know that it won't be anything like a muggle trick. I could sit down, and suffer the humiliation or just walk away.

I close my eyes, biting my lip. Whatever the answer is, _you won't cry,_ Chamberlain. Mudblood. Slytherin.

"Get in my bag, Vipera." I whisper. "I don't want you to get hurt."

The serpent hisses at me as I let her slip into a pocket of my bag. I quickly place my bag in a corner of the Hall and, with my head held high, sit down.

I fidget in the chair for a couple of seconds, looking around me. I point my wand at my plate and murmur my name. The utensils reappear.

And I hear a loud crack.

I feel myself hit the ground and notice that my chair had disappeared. I shrug my shoulders and stand. I make an effort not to rub my butt, which is stinging a bit from the fall.

I quietly serve myself dinner, as I hear sniggers throughout our entire table. When I notice that the chair won't appear, I gracefully cut the ham on my plate into small, edible bits and began to eat as if nothing out of the ordinary happened.

The hushed laughter becomes even quieter. Our table lacks the normal conversation, the jokes, and the complaining. Instead, one-by-one, every person who laughed when I fell to the floor quiets down.

I won't honor the pranksters with my response.

I quickly finish the ham, potatoes, and spinach. I take a slight bow, grab my bag, and leave the hall.

Vipera quickly wraps herself around my wrist. "You should go to your room, Chastity. Take the night off until flying practice and just relax. Read one of your muggle books."

I glare at her. "No. I'll see you when I come back from practice." I rush to my room, ignoring Vipera's complaints about being left alone. I throw together my bag so that I can do my assignments and grab the _Phoenix 500_ that I had hid underneath my bed with my muggle textbooks.

Feet lead me to the final destination. I set myself down, staring across the lake. I close my eyes and lean against a tree, using my bag as a temporary pillow.

I ignore the need to work and just focus on the sounds of the world around me. I first focus on the sound of my breath, then on the twittering of animals: an owl, a deer in the forbidden forest, a yowling kitten.

"_LEAVE THE HEIR ALONE!"_ I hear a loud hiss. I keep my eyes closed. _You're imagining this, Chastity._

And that is when I hear a loud, extremely girly scream.

My eyes snap open and I see Rosier and Avery both standing in close proximity to me.

And a huge amphibious creature with a snake for a head.

Well, many snakes, for it had multiple heads.

I quickly whisper the worst curse I can think of.

"_STOP!"_ I shout at the creature. It's lead head turns towards me.

"_You want me to leave these boys alone, child?"_ The beast hisses at me. "_They seemed to be plotting a rather nasty trap for you…"_

I glare up at the creature. "_What_ are _you? Why do you listen to me?"_

The beast's main head looked at me rather speculatively. "_Well, I am a Hydra, silly child. Why I am here, shouldn't you know that by now? The snakes around here have been spreading the word ever since you conjured the mark of Slytherin!"_

"_Vipera?"_

"_Whatever you called the bloody animal, it doesn't matter."_

I glance at Rosier and Avery, who were both still in a bit of shock. "It's okay." I whisper. "I think that you will be fine. Just come over here and pretend you aren't plotting to kill me or something. It's a hydra. The blood is poisonous." Rosier looks at me shocked.

"Shouldn't we tell McGonagall?"

"No. Some…" I pause. "I think part-snakes like me. The hydras will listen to me if I tell them to leave the students alone. You guys should go prepare for quidditch. Go on back to your rooms now."

Avery quickly dashes off, but Rosier stays by me.

"_Please. What is your name?" _I quickly hiss.

"_We aren't given names that you can pronounce. Even with your ability to_ speak_. It is an ancient tongue that no human has learned in centuries, perhaps millennia."_

"_Perhaps I can try." _I respond. _"Just try the name once, and tell me how poorly I pronounce it."_

"_Hsshkaala."_ The Hydra hisses out. I try the word on my tongue. _"You are close, young one. Perhaps one day you can learn the Hydra tongue."_

I glance at Rosier. _"These are my friends and my classmates. I know that you saw them trying to prank me, but killing or injuring them will do no good. It will not help this heir or me. Please, stay if you must to protect the heir, but do not harm any of the students or teachers. And if you are injured by one of them, I think I have been interfaced with most of the part-snakes on this campus. Or get in contact with Vipera. I will protect you if you protect the students and teachers."_

The hydra lowers its immortal head. I gently pat Hsshkaala's head. _"You have much to learn, Slytherin child. It is not my place to tell you though. But I must warn you that I will not me the most dangerous of the snakes to come visit you this year. Be on a lookout because most will not agree to peacefully back down."_

"_Thank you. Fare well, Hsshkaala…"_

The Hydra backs slowly into the lake and disappears beneath a wave. I feel its presence leave the Hogwarts grounds and continue back to its homeland.

"What was that?" Rosier stutters out.

"A Hydra." I reply too quickly. "I thought I told you already."

Rosier shakes his head. "I still can't believe you're a parselmouth. Why was it coming after Daniel and me?"

I shrug. "It was protecting the heir of Slytherin."

Rosier snorts. "The last heir is dead. He died in 1998, and his soul was destroyed. He had no children and his soul was destroyed. Even the great Harry Potter doesn't still possess the powers of the heir."

"No. Unless the entire snake population is greatly mistaken. They've been discussing the return of the heir…" I quickly cut myself off. "I think I have said too much."

Rosier grins. "Well, I just wanted to thank you. I thought we were goners."

I give him a small smile and reach out my hand to him. "Friends?"

The dark-haired, dark-eyed boy looks at me and then stretches out his own hand. Our hands clasp and we shake hands. "Friends."

"Now, about that girly scream of yours…" I whisper as I sit back down against the tree.

"My girly scream?" Rosier grins. "I am positive that was Avery. Aaron Rosier does not make girly screams."

"Nor do you practice the giggling charm." My smile begins to fade. "Which reminds me, I have to do homework." I glance at Rosier. "Which you should probably be doing as well."

Rosier shrugs. "History of Magic is an amazing time to pretend to take notes and actually do your other classes' homework. Binns doesn't say anything that can't be found in the library. At least not yet."

"Well…" I take out my class notes and my _A History of Magic._ "I'll just sit here and finish the biography on Merlin. I'll see you at practice."

Rosier pauses. "Chamberlain?"

I look up from the parchment I was carefully unrolling.

"Thanks." Rosier states. He begins to walk away. "Chamberlain?" He asks again, as I have already looked down.

"Rosier?"

"Sorry, mudblood." He grins at me. All of the venom from that word is removed.

"Mudblood..." I shrug my shoulders. "Sounds good to me, pureblood." I mock salute him as he walks back to the main building.

-----

"So _you_ are what Madame Hooch told Professor Malfoy about?" Rosier, Avery, and I stood opposite of Marissa Kennicot, a tall, athletic, seventh year Slytherin. She has her black hair tied back in a high ponytail and her brown eyes stare piercingly over each of us.

She points at Avery. "Daniel Avery. Your father was a beater when he was a student. Not that great of a flyer, but pretty good at hitting the bludgers at people." Avery shrugs. "You seem more like the chaser time though." She moves onto Rosier next, who had been standing between Avery and I. "Aaron Rosier. Your father wasn't a quidditch player at Hogwarts, although he did try out once for the keeper position. You are a seeker yourself?"

Rosier nods. "I played most everything in recreational quidditch, but I mainly played seeker or chaser."

Kennicot walks in front of me. "Chastity Chamberlain. I am pretty sure that everyone in our house knows who you are." She grins. "Nice to meet you, Chamberlain."

I stare at her in shock. "Wait, you aren't going to try to kill me?"

Kennicot grins. "My younger sister is Rebecca. Rebecca Kennicot." Marissa shrugs. "She was a bit annoyed with me when I didn't help you get food on your first day here."

"Her twin sister is also the captain of the Gryffindor team." Rosier whispers to me.

"Well, Chamberlain. I take it that you have never played quidditch before, so I want you to practice each of the positions. From the look of you I would say seeker or keeper. Definitely not a beater, and you would probably be knocked off your broom too easily as a chaser. You are a bit small for a keeper, but…"

Rosier interrupts her. "You should see her fly. She's a natural."

Avery looks shocked. I look down at the ground to hide my embarrassment. "I'm not that good…"

"Well, regardless. I've gotten the Slytherin team to come out today. Thankfully Professor Malfoy signed a paper that gives us full use of the Quidditch quart." She pauses and laughs briefly. "I forgot to tell you what I play. I'm a beater." She makes a fake swing. "If Melissa and I were on the same team…"

"Your parents named your twin Melissa and you Marissa?" Avery asks. "Don't you ever get confused?"

"At least they aren't all named George Foreman…" I whisper. I ignore their looks at me. "He's a muggle. Named all his children George Foreman. Even the girls."

"Well, now to introduce the team. Our youngest player: Third Year Rachel Parise. Chaser!" A medium height girl with straight black hair that is braided walks out and waves at us. She is wearing a set of green and silver robes that has her number, twelve, and her name.

"Next, Fourth Year David Scully!" A medium height, muscular boy with dark hair and eyes walks out. "He's the other beater." He is also wearing the green and silvers, except his number is ninety-nine.

"Our Fifth Year Keeper! George Rivers." A tall boy walks out and shoots a glare in my direction. He is also wearing the green practice robes and his number is nineteen.

"Our Final Sixth Year Chaser! Patricia Ackart." A short brunette walks out and grins at the three of us. As she turns to join her teammates, we see that her number is seventeen.

"Our final Chaser! Seventh Year Travis Hanson!" The lanky boy in the green robes walks out. His number twenty flashes in the light.

"And, last, but not least. Our seeker! Seventh Year, Andy Stevens!" The final boy, who seems to be rather small for his age walks out and grins. His number one also gleams pleasantly.

"Okay, so this is the ball box." Marissa says briefly. "Do you know anything about the balls in Quidditch, Chastity?"

I nod, remembering what _Quidditch Through the Ages _had said. "The red ball is the quaffle. The chasers try to put the quaffle through the spoon looking hoops. The keeper prevents the quaffle from going in. The black balls…" I point to the bludgers. "Are bludgers. The beaters hit the bludgers away from their teammates and towards the opponents. I point to the final ball: a golden golf ball that has wings when activated.

"The golden snitch. It is the seekers job to catch this, and it adds one hundred and fifty points to the winning team's score, which basically means a victory. Although it is the seeker's job to catch the snitch, there have been cases of another player on the team catching the snitch. It is a rare for that to happen though."

"Excellent. Now…" Marissa summons another quaffle. "I want the three of you to fly around and practice passing the quaffle. Do not let it hit the ground. Then practice some shooting. We're going to just work on your flying, aim, and saving skills for now. We can check your abilities with the snitch and bludgers later when the rest of the team isn't here."

She winks at Rosier. "I might let you practice with it in between classes." She shrugs her shoulders. "Which is allowed because this is my set of quidditch balls, not the school's."

She stares at us, all three of wearing our black robes.

"Oh yes, practice robes. Since you _are_ on the reserve team, we will give you robes. They will magically tailor to fit you. Just wear sweatpants and a t-shirt or something around those lines underneath these. Now, what number do each of you want?"

Avery speaks first. "I've always found eleven to be a lucky number." He grins.

"Alright, just point your wand at these robes and say your name. Put them on and they should fix to fit you."

Rosier starts next. "Lucky thirteen, if you please." He grins as he is passed the number.

I shrug. "I've always liked the number nine for no good reason. I'll take that one." I take the pile of green robes that are handed to me and murmur my name. The robes take a slight silver sheen and my name and new number appear on the back. I then slip off my black robes and place the green and silver practice robes over my uniform. I grin as the robes begin to shrink and lose some of the extra girth to fit me. "How very convenient."

"Okay, you three go to the other end. I'll come by and check on you every so often." She smiles at the three of us and winks. "And just remember, if anyone gets injured, you guys are on the top of my reserve list. Please practice and prove that decision right."

Rosier, Avery, and I walk over to the other side of the court, each of us holding our new broomsticks and I carry the quaffle.

"Chamberlain, just leave the quaffle on the ground for now. Lets do a couple of practice laps on these." Rosier says grinning. We kick off the ground and zoom up to the clouds.

I feel the cold getting to me because we are pretty high up. I smile and do a dive, quickly pulling out of it before I hit the ground.

"Race you!" I say to the two boys who were currently playing tag. We all move to the same place at the one edge of the court.

"Count to three." Rosier states.

"One…" I whisper.

"Two…" Avery murmurs.

"THREE!" All of us shout together and lean into the broomsticks, starting off at remarkable speeds. I grin as I press my body closer to the broom, making myself more aerodynamic. I lean into the handle and keep my eyes up so I can make the turns around the field.

I grin as the three of us come to a halt where we started. Avery dives down and grabs the quaffle.

"Lets just practice tossing it about for now. Then we can work on passing while moving." Avery shrugs his shoulders. "That's how we used to practice on the rec teams."

I nod. I'm caught a bit off guard when the strange-shaped red ball lands in my hands. I stare at the ball for a few seconds and then toss it to Rosier. After a few minutes we naturally begin to move while passing the ball, because just standing still had bored us.

I grab the ball as Rosier toss it to me and bring the broom to a halt. "Up for another Muggle game?" I ask quickly.

"Depends on what it is…" Avery murmurs, but both of the boys fly closer to me.

"It's called "Monkey in the Middle". Two people toss the quaffle to each other and keep it from the person in the middle. If the "monkey" gets the quaffle, then the last person who touched it is now in the middle." I grin. "It's a bit childish, but on brooms…"

"It could be fun." Rosier finishes. "We call it "metamorphamagus in the middle". It's a bit of a tongue-twister, but the person who introduced it to us was one."

"A what?" I ask, confused.

"Someone who can change his or her appearance. She ended up cheated when she began to mimic the appearance of the people she was playing against and they tossed the ball to her." Avery completes the story.

"Well, I'll take being in the middle first." I say, tossing the ball to Avery, catching him slightly off guard. "Lets see how this works."

-----

I grin as we land. "That was fun." I murmur. "I'm kind of disappointed that we can only do that once a week…"

Rosier shrugs. "I'm sure that Madame Hooch will let us practice on our own during our flying lessons until we begin doing practice Quidditch matches.

"Plus only having it once a week means that we can still get our homework done in a reasonable amount of time." Avery says, shrugging.

I grimace, thinking about the giggling charm that I did not practice in any way. I pick back up my black robes and we head over to where Marissa is. "Nice practice, guys. I am really impressed. Madame Hooch wasn't wrong about you at all." She grins. "And I think I was on the right track when I said your positions." She quickly hands each of us a packet. "There are objects in there that will help you without being on a broom. Golf balls and a snitch for you Rosier. Have someone throw the golf balls at you." She turns to Avery and I next. "It's just a muggle toy: a mini football and goal. In some of your free time practice throwing the ball at Chamberlain and try to score."

She nods at the three of us. "Oh, Chamberlain." Rosier and Avery both stop their walk back to the main building.

"Yes, Captain" I ask quickly. "What is it?"

"Professor Malfoy wants to talk to you about something. Just stop by his room before you go up to your own dormitory."

"Thanks, Captain." I nod. I rush towards where Rosier and Avery are waiting. "I wonder what I have done this time.

Rosier shrugs. "Maybe Vipera got annoyed and bit one of your roommates."

I shudder at the thought. "My snake would not do something so stupid." We reach the corridor which branches off to the teacher's rooms and our dormitory. "I'll see you later, Rosier, Avery."

I hurry down the route that I know leads me to where Professors Malfoy, Granger and Vector reside. I murmur a curse at myself for abandoning Vipera in my room. It was possible that she got angry with me and took out her revenge on Goyle or Lestrange.

I reach the place where there are three large wooden doors. Each of the doors has their own set of spells and protections, but it is easier for students to just knock on the doors.

I go to the first door on the right and knock on the door.

"Professor Malfoy? It's Chamberlain. You asked to see me?"

"Wait a second!" I hear him quickly shout back. I hear some rustling and see a rather tired looking professor open the door.

"Sorry to disturb you, Professor." I say, craning my neck so I can look at the man.

"Your father somehow managed to get a letter here. We aren't sure how it managed it. He asks that you send him regular owls to tell you how you are doing."

I look at the ground, embarrassed. "Sorry, Professor." I take the letter that he has in his hand and return to my room, looking at the scrawling on the envelope:

_To whoever opens this letter at that school_

_From Charles Chamberlain_

There isn't an address on the envelope, which confuses me how it ever arrived here. I gently reopen the envelope as I return to the dormitory. I unfold the letter and recognize my father's frantic writing. There are two letters: the first is addressed to me and the second is addressed, once again, to whoever gets the "bloody letter" first.

I scan the second letter, noticing how my father used some colorful language…

I gently unfold the first letter and walk straight into the barrier that opens for the dormitory. "Sanguis Incorruptus…" I murmur, still stunned from my crash.

I hurry up to the dormitory and take a seat at one of the tables in the corner. Most of the common room is empty, since people are preparing for curfew. I notice that the chair doesn't scream out in agony, which many of the chairs in the common room had been doing, when I sat in it. Maybe helping out Rosier and Avery would be more of a boon than a bane.

I briefly think about my need to practice for Charms and Transfiguration, but concentrate instead on Father's letter.

_Dear Chastity,_

_I hope that you will receive this letter. I just want to know how you are doing. We haven't heard from you since you left, and Chad has missed his big sister's help on his work._

_How are things there? Have you been making friends? How are your classes?_

_Everything is fine here._

_Well, just respond as soon as you can._

_Love,_

_Dad._

I grin at the letter. It didn't seem like much, but it still meant a lot to me. I begin to write a response, knowing that I can give it to Vesperi in the morning.

I stretch and yawn, hurrying up to my bed. I gently pat Vipera on the head before I get into bed myself and fall into a deep sleep…

**End of Chapter 5**

**: ) Yay.**

**I kind of rushed to the end of this because today I'm going to see my best friend from elementary school and my cousins are coming.**

**Thanks to everyone who read. I am going to probably not update for the next week or so. I have to finish a project that I was supposed to work on this summer and study (grr). This is also my time to go and see my friends who I haven't seen in forever. : ) Oh the joys of the summer.**

**Anyway, as always I am going to try to write responses to reviewers.**

**To IAMaMUDBLOOD:**_Thanks for reading again. I'm glad that you liked the flying bit. I hope that the voices part is becoming clearer after this chapter. : )_

**To and in kisses-consume**: _Thanks, that really means something to me. I'm glad that you are enjoying this story. I'll let you continue to contemplate the heir of Slytherin thing for a while, since I'm planning on dragging _that_ plotline out for a while until you want to stab me in the face (or realize what my mind is thinking…). Once again, thanks for reading._

**Ack, I need to get off my room because it is beginning to smell like feta cheese.**

**Thanks for reading to everyone. : )**

**Oh, and if you want to know the title of the chapter is a joke between Scully and Mulder of the X-files. I'm sure if you type in the title of the chapter and X-Files you can get the entire quote (if you are curious. : ) )**

**Lots of Love,**

**Li Kailun (the veggie vegetable)**


	6. Without Betraying My Cool Exterior

**Heya everyone. I got one piece of advice from one of the reviews, which is to come up with a more "exciting" summary for the story. If anyone has any recommendations, please tell me. : ) Also! If anyone has any recommendations for the genre… General is always the easiest route. : )**

**Disclaimer: I are not J.K. Rowling. I are not claim possession of books she wrote. I are not good at grammar or speling.**

**Sorry, had to do that. : )**

**Oh, and Professor Vector is the canon Arithmancy professor. I admit to my error in the name and will now go gouge out my eyes. I shall go fix that error now, and I apologize for the confusion.**

**Name, once again, belongs to the X-files and my current addiction to quoting it…**

Chapter Six: Is there anyway I can get this off me without betraying my cool exterior?

_Dear Father,_

_Everything here seems to be one adventure after another. It is really quite amazing, and no matter how _used_ to magic I think I'm becoming, everything is still fantastic. I was placed in the Slytherin House, which is a bit odd, but nothing too bad. I have a few friends here and I've also gained a position on the Quidditch-the wizard's chosen sport-team._

_Tell Chad that I miss him. I haven't been keeping up on my mathematical and language studies recently because I've been overwhelmed by everything. I'll try to catch up soon._

_Also, if Brenda sends me any letters, can you ship them to me by Vesperi? I know that she will have tried to contact me by now._

_I'll see you soon enough._

_Love,_

_Chastity._

I look at the letter one more time; my eyes scan over the words. I shouldn't tell my father the exact circumstances of my friendship with Avery and Rosier, since it is a bit scary. I also won't bother telling him why the Slytherin house is _interesting._

I look at the last main paragraph: Brenda, my best friend from primary school. She also went off to a boarding school. We promised to send each other weekly letters once we got each other's addresses, but I had a feeling that a muggle mailman wouldn't have any idea what to do with a letter addressed to "Chastity Chamberlain at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry".

I gather up my bag once again and allow Vipera to slip back on my wrist. I rub my eyes and brush a stray strand of my silvery hair behind my ear.

"_A letter to your father?"_ Vipera hisses out.

"_Yes."_ I whisper as a reply, sneaking slowly down the stairs into the common room. Although everyone had acted a lot nicer last night and this morning, I still didn't trust most of the Slytherins. _"He was worried about me."_

Vipera grins as much as a snake can. "_So you didn't mention your lovely new familiar?"_

I grimace. "_When I get home, I'll just pretend that you are some sort of wizard jewelry for as long as I can."_

Vipera sighs. "_Silly Chastity…"_

I drop my arm back down to my side, feeling Vipera tighten her grip. She has gotten more powerful over the course of the last week, which might be because she gained an appetite.

I hold back my grimace and saunter through the winding corridors toward the Great Hall.

As always, I take my seat at the edge of the table, take out my wand and whisper my name. As always, a serving fork and spoon appear on my golden plate.

I look down and notice something new this time: a note.

I stare hard at the note, wishing I knew more curses so I could string together an impressive curse. I haven't even read the words, but I know that it won't be good. I feel the chills on my arms.

"Bloody…" I whisper, not finishing the thought as my hands reach out and grab the note. I have no control.

My hands tremble, the note shakes in my hand, and Vipera makes a wry comment about waking her from her beauty sleep.

I gently unfold the letter and Vipera skillfully drops off my wrist. I lay the letter next to her, so she too can scan over the words, although she has yet to master reading the English language.

_Mudblood,_

I bite my lip, knowing better to grin.

_I know what you have done to them. It's illegal, and you know it. I will make you falter and _that_ will be your final hour._

There is no name attached to the letter, just a pinprick worth of blood.

"_Quick, write down the note."_ Vipera hisses. _"It's about to…"_ she slithers away as the note catches on fire before our eyes.

I quickly grab my quill and parchment, closing my eyes to reread the note in my mind. Photographic memory: a blessing and a curse. I scribble down the words that re-appear before my eyes, murmuring them in parseltongue so Vipera can understand.

"_Sounds like your fan club is annoyed…"_ the serpent whispers to me, as she sees people walk past us, taking their own seats at the table. I let my right arm down onto the table and she curls back up into her circular position around my wrist: her head resting next to her tail.

"_So, who do you think "they" are?"_ I ask, quickly thinking of different "theys" who I could have interacted with that would explain my "illegal" behavior.

I swear Vipera can roll her eyes. "_Who else?"_

I shake my head and place it in my hands. "Rosier and Avery…"

"Morning to you too, Ms. Sunshine." Rosier says, grinning as he takes the seat across from mine, where Sir Richard normally floats.

I don't splutter, nor do I explain my parchment that is lying over my plate. I quickly roll up the scroll and stuff it in my bag and grab the note I had written to Father. "Sorry, I didn't get much sleep last night: Merlin's biography needed some grammatical corrections so that Professor Binns won't fly through me again…"

I earn a chuckle from Avery, who had just taken his seat next to Rosier. "So, what was the reason for your meeting with Professor Malfoy _this_ time, Chamberlain?"

I grin, trying to think up of an elaborate lie. "Oh…" I lower my voice to a whisper. "They found out that I exploded Moaning Myrtle's toilet using my powers of evil Mudblood supremacy." I grin. "He made me promise to never do it again." I gain another laugh from Rosier. "See, I also practiced my giggling charms on harmless students. Boy, am I in trouble this time." I grin.

"Now, really, Chamberlain. Mudblood supremacy? You really are deranged." Avery jokes with me.

"So, what really happened?" Rosier says, rolling his eyes at my antics.

"My father managed to get a letter to the school. He complained about how I wasn't communicating with him." I shrug. "So I wrote a letter back."

Both Avery and Rosier frown. "We were expecting a more exciting story there, Chamberlain."

I roll my eyes. "Reality is so much less exciting than fantasy." I quickly shovel down the pancake that appeared on my plate. "Hey, I have to go do something. Can one of you tie this to Vesperi when she arrives? Tell her I'm sorry, but I have to go to the library?"

Avery nods and snatches the letter from my hand. I smile my thanks and disappear from the table.

I walk with my eyes closed, navigating the halls solely on memory and hearing. It's my way of testing my directional skills, which are dismal at best.

I notice that I am in trouble when I feel a hand gripped over my face.

"Stay quiet, Mudblood."

I think about threatening whoever this is with the _snake_ that is on my arm that has very pointy fangs and _will _bite on command. Instead I decide to see how this series of events will unfold. I allow my "captor" to shove me around a bit until we reach wherever we were going.

"May I speak now?" I ask sarcastically. I stare at my wrist and feel Vipera flick her tongue against my palm. I gently reach for her with my fingers as I stare at my captors.

Lestranges, Goyle, George Rivers, and a few other Slytherins that I don't recognize. I then look around my surroundings: escape routes are always essential, especially when it is one first year versus seven others who are first year and above. I dig my fingers into my palms.

"Shut it. Mudblood. Now, where are you brewing your potion?"

I quirk my eyebrow at them. "I can honestly say that I have no bloody idea what you are talking about, Lestrange." Harriet Lestrange seems somewhat taken aback by my comment, but quickly is glaring at me. Her brother takes over my "interrogation".

"Friendship, luck, love potions. Whatever it is that has gotten you a place on the Quidditch team and friendships with Avery and Rosier. Neither one of them would befriend you in their right minds."

"Love potion?" I gasp out. "You think I put them under a _love_ potion? We're eleven! Do any of us know what _love_ is?"

The seven of them glare at me. "Just tell us what you did, Chamberlain. Why yesterday Rosier and Avery told everyone to leave you alone."

I shrug my shoulders. "Perhaps I placed them under a spell that is unknown to many in this world. True Friendship." I fake a gasp and place my hands on either side of my face. "Whatever will you do now?"

I knew that that was a stupid thing to say before I said it. It is essential, though, to say the truth.

Especially if you want to make a point to these people. I cannot change who I am to make them happy. I can only change myself to become braver and stronger. In primary school, I might have reacted by crying, but that isn't the appropriate reaction now.

I hear a sickening crack and then grab my nose. The pain finally reaches me.

"Well, I learn new things every day. My nose can be broken." I whisper out. Don't show weakness, Chamberlain. My nose has always been a joke because I can bend it flat against my face in most any direction.

"What spell?" Rivers has a wand pointed towards my face. I slowly reach my left hand into my own robe pocket and let my fingers wrap around the cool wood.

"The giggling charm. Does wonders." I reply quickly. I tense up, expecting another hit from Goyle or one of the bigger boys.

Rivers murmurs a word and boils appear on my arms.

"What spell?"

"You do realize that I won't be able to speak soon, right?" I state. "So I would recommend against spells that prevent my sharp wit from working properly." I grimace as a boil appears on my left cheek.

"What spell?"

I point my wand at the biggest of the bullies. "_Wingardium Leviosa_." I grin as I see him fly up in the air. "That one. Now, say the countercurse or I'll drop him." I slowly brought my wand downwards, causing the bully to follow the course.

Lestrange grins. "Oh good. You'll be in trouble now, Mudblood."

"**What is going on here?**" I hear a professor shout.

I murmur a curse. Sure, I am the one with the broken nose and boils, but there is also the issue of a flying student…

I gently drop the bully onto the ground. He is now shock white and sending me a rather harsh death glare.

"Professor Macmillan!" One of the Slytherins who I don't recognize speaks. "This girl attacked us."

"And I sure did a wonderful job, eh?" I grin. The boil on my cheek oozes. I hide back my wince.

"Chamberlain…" Professor Macmillan turns to me, as if seeing my expression for the first time. "Who preformed the curse?"

"She did, Professor. As soon as she saw that you were coming!" Goyle squeaks out quickly.

"Yeah, I also punched myself in the face. Thought a broken nose might look good with my new hair style." I flip my braid for good measure. "What do you think, Harriet?"

The girl, along with half of her group stares at me in mock horror. "She's also _raving _mad, Professor." Duncan Lestrange finally regains his vocal chords. "We have reason to believe that she has been casting spells on Daniel Avery and Aaron Rosier." He pauses dramatically. "So that they'll be her friends!"

I bite back from reply on this one. Professor Macmillan glances at me. "Seven of you, headmistress's office now. Chamberlain, come with me."

The seven of them look at each other, seemingly rather surprised. I grimace, awaiting my doom. "Professor…"

"It's fine, Chamberlain. Let's just take you to the Hospital Wing, and then Headmistress McGonagall's office. Madame Pomfrey should be able to fix the boils and nose in no time."

I give a shadow of a smile. "Cool." I pause, looking at the Professor for a second. "Will Professors Malfoy or Granger be there?" I get a slight glare from Professor Macmillan. "Just curious, sir."

"Well, considering eight of his students were in the altercation, Professor Malfoy will be there. Professor Granger has no reason to go to such a meeting."

I nod. "Oh, okay. I just needed to talk to them about something and thought that I might as well kill two birds with one stone, you know…"

The Professor shoves me into the hospital wing. "You can talk to Professor Malfoy about whatever this is once Madame Pomfrey fixes up your nose." He turns away for a second before looking back at me. "And that is one killer levitation spell, Ms. Chamberlain." I grin at his smile and walk into the infirmary.

"Good Morning!" A tall, stern woman with strands of her grey hair falling out of her bun walks up to me. "What happened to you?"

"I think I broke my nose."

"That's it?" The nurse glares at me. "I think that those boils are a bit more than just a side affect of a bloody nose."

"Oh, those. I got cursed. I don't know by what spell. Something a fifth year Slytherin would know."

I hear the nurse curse under her breath. "There are only about two hundred different spells about warts, bumps, boils, and rashes that a fifth year Slytherin could cast on you." She glowers. "For all I know, this could be an allergic reaction to a pie you ate."

I open my mouth, about to claim that neither have I had any pie in the last forty-eight hours nor am I allergic to anything. I close my mouth, realizing that this isn't of any relevance and it won't help my purple boils, which are now oozing green and yellow pus, go away.

"Just take a seat on that bed." She points to one that quickly folds up its sheets and fluffs its own pillow. "And don't move. I want to keep your nose _straight_ and on your face."

I raise one eyebrow, somewhat in shock, but comply in taking my seat. "What now?"

Madame Pomfrey glares at me. "Don't move your mouth either, child." I quickly close my mouth and clench my jaw shut. "Relax." I try to relax my muscles, but just tense more. I am afraid of whatever will happen to me while I am here.

The nurse makes eye contact with me and murmurs a spell. My nose feels as though it has been pricked with a thousand small pins and I _feel_ the bone knitting itself back together. The soft cartilage moves back into its previous position and the blood disappears from my face.

I gently bring one finger up to press my nose back down into my face when… "Don't!" Madame Pomfrey glares at me. "It will take another good fifteen minutes to completely set. Don't touch it and don't get punched in the face in the next fifteen minutes."

I nod.

"Stay quiet! I'm going to take a sample of what is in your boil and then run a quick magical analysis so I can give you the cure or the countercurse."

I wince as she places her wand next to my face. It still feels as if a needle is pricking into my skin to extract the pus from my face. I feel like murmuring my list of curses that has somewhat grown during my first few weeks here.

_Friendship Potion_…

I have accidentally cast spells before. What if that is the reason Avery and Rosier stay with me? I know that Rosier still has some influence amongst the Slytherins because of his father…

What if they would still not be my friends, even after rescuing them from a Hydra?

_A Hydra._

"Madame Pomfrey?"

"Quiet, child. You will never heal properly if you continuously interrupt me."

I close my mouth, excuses for my questions rushing through my mind.

_Come up with a good one, Chamberlain._

"I've been doing some research on magical snakes and serpentine creatures. Or at least part snakes. Is there anything you know about hydras?"

Madame Pomfrey glares at me. "If you stay silent, I will tell you!" I quickly nod, sealing my lips. Silence is worth the answer.

"Well, their blood is a very potent poison. Phoenix tears applied within two minutes are the only know cure that won't cause permanent damage. The poison is very acidic an will eat through skin or clothing if it is dropped upon either one." She pauses. "We've never had an issue with a hydra at this school. They haven't been seen for years. Legends say that they only come when a parseltongue truly needs them: either for protection or for friendship. Thus hydras are potent magical creatures, although they have a different kind of magic than the light magic that you are learning.

"They are capable of projecting images or emotions. _If_ the hydra respects the person who called him, he will do everything to keep that person comfortable, regardless of the risk to himself or the wishes of the caller. Well, as long as going against the wishes wouldn't harm the caller…" She murmurs a spell and the pus turns black. Madame Pomfrey winces.

"The potion to cure these boils isn't nice at all. Please do not vomit. You will have to drink this until you keep it down, so…"

"I might as well keep it the first time. Got it." Madame Pomfrey opens the cabinets, searching for the correct potion. After approximately three minutes of searching, she conjures a glass and pours out a shot's worth of the liquid. When it touches the glass of the cup, the clear fluid becomes a brown, goopy drink. "Bottoms up." I say and take the drink as I think a person would take a shot glass.

Madame Pomfrey glares at me. "I'll take you to the Headmistress's office."

I nod, my heart sinking lower into my chest. We briskly walk towards the office. "So, about hydras. If someone that the hydra protects wants true friends, the hydra will project the thoughts that the caller would be a good friend? Or create situations for the caller so that he could be a good friend to someone?"

Madame Pomfrey nods. "There has to be some seeds for the feeling already there, but it enhances the want for friendship."

I want to murmur a curse.

"Can you get Rosier and Avery to go to the Headmistress's office as well?"

Madame Pomfrey stares at me. "I believe they are already with her, Professor Malfoy, and the other seven delinquents."

I wince.

"We're here. Umbrella." Madame Pomfrey says harshly at the gargoyle. "Good luck."

I flinch when I hear these words.

"What can I say…" I murmur.

It's true.

I gently touch my nose where it was broken a couple of minutes ago. I _deserved_ it.

I wish that I hadn't swallowed the cure for the boils. I wish that I could go through the punishment I _deserved._

I slowly walk into the sitting room that appeared to separate the rest of Hogwarts from the Headmistress's office. The office was filled with a number of portraits who winked and smiled at me. I look curiously at the man with a long silver beard. Next to him was a man with black hair that looked as if it had been dipped in oil.

"Another one, Professor Dumbledore? What has Minerva been doing?"

The silver-bearded man tosses a reprimanding look at the black haired man. "Now, Severus. Do not be so unkind toward Minerva. Your term as Headmaster did not go anywhere close to as smooth as Minerva is."

I swore I saw _Severus_ roll his eyes. "So, you're the cause of all this trouble, young Slytherin." Dumbledore states. "Tell me, my dear, when were you born?"

"June, sir." I pause. "June of 1995, sir."

"Ah yes. That does explain something, my dear." Dumbledore gives me a ghost of a smile. "Good luck to you. Don't worry. Professor Malfoy and Professor McGonagall understand. You shouldn't yet. Just wait, Ms. Chamberlain. Wait and see…"

I, shocked, stare at the portrait. The man just smiles and disappears from sight.

"Professor McGonagall is ready to see you, Young Slytherin." The oily black haired man murmurs, as if getting out of a trance.

The entire room seems much quieter. There had been a buzz before Dumbledore had begun his speech, but now everything had turned to a silent state. Unnaturally so.

I gather up my courage and the remainder of my pride.

I drop my wrist to the floor. _"Vipera, you must find Hsshkaala and tell him to remove the spell on Rosier and Avery. Tell him that it _is_ injuring me now that I know that they would never have become my friends so willingly. Thank him for his kindness, but inform him that the spell was not needed."_

The small serpent hisses at me. _"He'll want to hear it from you, but I'll tell him to wait if you're still in the school when this is all over…"_

"_Not funny."_ I whisper back.

"You're a parselmouth?" The oily black-haired man asks.

"Yes, sir."

"I almost wish I were still alive…" the man whispers nonchalantly. "Carry on, young Slytherin. You will do your house a great honor. They just don't realize it yet."

I shut my mouth and prevent myself from saying "and neither do I."

I close my eyes and walk towards the door, bidding farewell to oily-haired man. I open the door to the office after knocking twice and walk in.

Headmistress McGonagall is sitting in a plush navy chair behind a mahogany desk that is shaped partially like a lion.

"Ms. Chamberlain, I presume." She says in a short clipped tone.

"Headmistress McGonagall."

"Please call me Professor McGonagall and take a seat." She gestures towards the only seat left in the semi-circle of wooden chairs that surround her desk. I gingerly take the seat between Rosier and Goyle. "Your classmates have quite the story to tell."

I bow my head and stare at my hands. Professor Malfoy, who is standing behind Professor McGonagall stares at me, almost as if he is looking through me.

"I believe that some of it may be true, Professors." I whisper. "May I talk to you and Professor Malfoy in private?"

Both of the Professors look at each other and then glance at me. "All right, Ms. Chamberlain."

"Can Rosier and Avery stay as well?" I ask quickly. "You can put me under _verisatum_ or whatever spell you need, but I will tell you what I think I know."

"Okay, Rivers. Take your group outside to wait. I will hear from Severus if any of you do anything."

Rivers murmurs something incomprehensible, but the group stands and walks out the door I had entered a few seconds earlier.

I look nervously around the room. Rosier and Avery are both staring at me expecting something miraculous.

"I do not know what Rivers has said, but I do know what I have gathered in the last few days. I first must apologize for not mentioning this earlier." I look at Professor Malfoy.

"Another snake, Chamberlain?"

"Not exactly." I whisper. I look down at my shoes and tip my toes so they are pointed towards each other. I then begin to toy with the edge of my skirt. I run my fingers through the pleats gently. "Someone around here summoned a hydra." I whisper. "And it protected me from Avery and Rosier." I finally look up. "And then I protected them and spoke to the hydra. I guess I was exceedingly polite. I believe that the Hydra had cast a friendship spell on the two of them to help me out. I'm going to talk to Hsshkaala if you will permit me." I turn to Rosier and Avery, "I'm sorry. I knew that the _Hsshkaala_ had created a friendship between us. I didn't realize that it was against your wills."

I straighten my feet, having stood up midway through my explanation, and began to pace. "I'm sorry, Professor. I know that I should have told you about the hydra the moment that it happened. I guess I wanted to finally believe that something has gone my way here." I turn to the headmistress finally. "I am also sorry that this could only be revealed by a confrontation between Rivers' group and me. I hadn't thought to research hydras more thoroughly."

Avery also stands. "Professor, I would like this spell removed immediately. I cannot believe that…this _thing_ would ever be considered my friend."

"I don't think you'll have a problem with the spell, Avery." I whisper harshly. "It seems to have worn off once I told Vipera to tell _Hsshkaala_. I don't believe you have any tendencies to come and give me a hug or laugh at my witty sense of humor."

"I can't believe how well we treated you. Lets go, Aaron."

I close my eyes, shaking. I slowly take my seat. "No, you go ahead, Dan. I think I need to talk to the Professors and Chamberlain a bit longer."

"Don't tell anyone about this, Mr. Avery. There will be enough rumors about why you, Mr. Rosier and Ms. Chamberlain are not friends anymore. We don't need you telling the truth." Professor McGonagall sighs out.

This causes Avery to pause before turning. "I'm assuming that Chamberlain and I will no longer be partners in potions?"

"That we cannot do, Mr. Avery." Professor Malfoy murmurs. "I will also expect the two of you to be sitting next to each other in my next class."

Avery glares and turns out of the room with as much flare as an eleven year old can.

"Why did you stay, Mr. Rosier?" Professor McGonagall asks.

Aaron Rosier, the one Slytherin who remains, briefly runs a hand through his black hair. "Because I do not believe that I was under a friendship spell, Professor. I refuse to believe that I would not be thankful to Ms. Chamberlain after what she did for Avery and me."

"I _put your life in danger_!" I screech at him. "It's _my _fault that the hydra would even think of attacking you. If I wasn't a _bloody parselmouth._"

"And _Hsshkaala_ would never have attacked us if we didn't deserve it." Rosier replies, pronouncing the name perfectly. "I'm still on your side, Chamberlain, whether you like it or not."

I see a brief smile flicker over Professor McGonagall's face.

"Well, I guess the only thing that we must now go over is the confrontation in the hallway."

I glance at my shoes. "I lost my temper."

"And broke your own nose, cast a curse on yourself, and then _wingardium leviosa'd_ a kid twice your size." Professor Malfoy says. "I think that I am more likely to believe that Avery will come back in here and beg your forgiveness."

I glance at the floor. I feel my eyes clouding up. He's not trying to be mean, Chamberlain. It's a joke. Humor.

I can't muster even a brittle laugh. "They accused me of cursing Rosier and Avery. When I refused to answer how I cursed them." I give a sad smirk. "They broke my nose. Then they decided removing my capabilities of speech would make me a lot more willing to answer questions. So I levitated one of them to put the countercurse on me. That is when Professor Macmillan showed up."

"Who cursed you?" Rosier quickly asks, placing a hand on my shoulder, turning my body back to face his own.

I close my eyes, refusing to look at his own. "I won't say, Aaron."

Professor McGonagall looks at the two of us. "Ms. Chamberlain, we need to know the student's name so that he or she cannot hurt another student."

"I deserved this, Professor."

"But the next student may not." Professor Malfoy whispers. "I was like Rivers as a student. I had my followers and I could harm anyone who got in my way. I would curse people just to see them beg me for the countercurse. I know how these boys think, and that is one of the reasons why I am the head of the Slytherin house. It makes logical sense that I should be since I _was_ one of these boys. Chamberlain, you must do this to protect people. You won't protect yourself, hell. Telling me the name will probably make you a greater target, but you will be protecting the other first years who don't have Hydras looking over their shoulders and don't have the friends that you do."

"Do this to Protect people like Alysha." Rosier whispers. "She didn't need to be cursed her first day back at school, but she was. You protected her. That's what you have been doing your entire time. Help protect another person. Someone weaker than you. Someone who doesn't have your confidence or capabilities."

I close my eyes, lifting up my chin. "I think that you already know who it is without me saying the name."

"I will destroy him…" Rosier whispers. "Rivers?"

I stare at Rosier in shock, surprised that he was able to guess whom it was. "How did you know..."

"A muggle rule. Something about a razor. The correct answer is usually the most simplest."

"Well, now that this is all settled…" Professor Malfoy whispers. "There is only the concern about your punishment. You did perform magic in the hallways."

"Professor, you cannot punish her for this!" Rosier states, pushing me behind his slightly taller frame. "She was just trying to protect herself!"

"I understand this, Mr. Rosier." Professor McGonagall begins. "And although Ms. Chamberlain offered to take the _Verisatum_ potion, it is still necessary that she should be punished so we don't have any Goyles or Lestranges coming here and threatening to have all of us removed from the school in the most painful method that they can think of…"

"If you punish Chastity, you have to punish me!" Rosier exclaims.

Professor Malfoy sighs and rubs his temples. "Okay, detention for the next four Tuesdays you two. You'll be helping a few of the teachers with organization and cleaning in their classrooms. You will be working together and we won't place you in the same location as Rivers and his crew. Please try to avoid Rivers as much as possible."

"Sir, I don't think that will be very possible. Both of us still have to practice with the Quidditch team…"

"Which is why you should avoid Mr. George Rivers." Professor McGonagall interrupts me.

"As of now, George Rivers is no longer a member of the Slytherin Quidditch team. Better start practicing, Ms. Chamberlain."

I stand there in shock. "Wait. You're punishing him by rewarding me? I don't think that this is the proper thing to do in this situation-"

"Chamberlain, lets just go…" Rosier says, putting a hand on my shoulder.

"Rosier, let me speak for just one bloody second. As soon as I arrived here there has been issues with me being of a weaker blood than everyone else. I have put up with more stuff than most first years ever need to. This "reward" to me will just lead to more punishments. Please reconsider this punishment for Mr. Rivers."

Professor McGonagall smiles at me. "Ms. Chamberlain, your honesty and kindness both surprise and please me, but Quidditch is the one thing that Mr. Rivers _loves_ at this school that can be removed from him. He needs to learn that harming others by using Dark Magic isn't legal or even morally justifiable. This will prove that to him."

I bow. "I'm sorry, Professors."

"Lets go, Chamberlain. We need to finish our Potions essays." Rosier quickly whispers in my ear. "Lets go to the library."

"Oh, one more thing." Professor McGonagall reaches into her desk. "You two might have some issues getting around in the Slytherin common room for the next few days. Although I know that you've already lived with a number of pranks, Ms. Chamberlain…"

I close my eyes. "These might be a bit worse than normal."

"Yes. Here." She hands both of us silvery cloaks. It feels like water as my fingers graze the material.

"This is fantastic…" I whisper. I inspect the fabric: I somewhat recognize the description of the texture and color, but I cannot quite place the name of the cloak.

"Invisibility cloaks?" Rosier whispers in amazement. "Thank you, Professor."

"Use them wisely, Slytherins." Professor McGonagall states stiffly. "I _will_ know what pranks can be attributed to you if you use these cloaks for ill."

We both nod and slip into the cloaks, knowing that it will be easier to get past our fellow Slytherins if invisible.

I grin as I come within inches of Harriet Lestrange, fighting the urge to pull on her ponytail.

"Come on, Chamberlain. Lets get to the library now."

I stare in the direction of the voice. "Hey, I can see you!" I whisper to Rosier. "How is it possible?"

Rosier shrugs. "Wearing cloaks of equal or greater strength of ability enables the user to see others who are using invisibility cloaks. They will have a faint aura around them. Someone realized that this might be a smart idea when doing espionage missions."

"Also so you don't accidentally walk into your invisible friend and ruin a mission." I grin and pull the cloak off, stuffing it into my bag. "So where do you want to go to talk."

Rosier sees my small smile appearing on my face. "So Potion's is our keyword for "lets talk" in front of Professors. I never thought that that would be such a great idea when you came up with it, Chamberlain."

I shrug. "You never know when a secret code, no matter how simplistic, can come into use." I stop. "Let's go to the lake. I think I have a friend who needs to be properly introduced to you."

**End of Chapter6**

**Sorry that this took for absolutely forever to finally get to. I've been in school for a couple of week sand I have felt swamped for the first time ever.**

**Please be patient with my postings/rantings/etc**

**I'm sorry about the cliff-hanger.**

**If anyone has any recommendations for the storyline or for a summery, please feel free to tell me.**

**Thanks to all of the readers and those who reviewed. I'm going to write a few brief responses (I need to go to sleep soon. Yaya for early bus pickup times…)**

**To IAMaMUDBLOOD:** _Of course she will tell Draco and Hermione: ) I think we're going to have to see how Chamberlain turns out…I have two potential endings for a "book" seven currently in my head (and nothing for the books in between)._

**To ahoyhoy: **_Thanks. I'm glad that you like the story. If you have any recommendations for the summary yourself, please feel free to help me out here. Thanks again and I hope you enjoy!_

**To and in kisses-consume: **_ahh! Rabid chipmunks! I apologize for my Viktor/Vector mistake again. My silly mathematical self was being idiotic for a while there. Thanks for pointing that out. I hope you enjoy the next section._

**Thanks again to everyone who reads and reviews. I will try to get the next chapter out as soon as possible, but I haven't started my college essays yet and that will probably take a while. ..**

**Anyway, until next time!**

**Li Kailun**


	7. Devote Yourself to an Ideal

**Hi guys, long time no see! I admit, I've been rather lazy, and rather lazy being an understatement. Now I'm in the middle of my summer vacation and am jobless, so I'm using some of this free time to update Slytherin Mudblood. I'm hoping to get a few more chapters out before the end of the summer.**

**I HAD a beginning to this, but, if you read my profile, I ruined my computer about two week ago, so I lost that. I also don't have word, so I'm not sure how screwed up the formatting of this will be. I also don't have a word count, so I'll probably be very off when knowing when to finish a chapter. I'll try to make this one extra long, and it will probably turn out to be 3000 words because the size of my text edit box is much smaller than my pages on word : (.**

**Another issue with me lacking my computer is that I have a chart which includes the names of all of the characters (meaning all the first years for all houses, the Slytherin Quidditch team, and the beginning of a the second years) and (I believe) the schedule and classes for each day for the characters. I maybe put the wrong classes up and I apologize in advance for any inconstancies that you may notice. Note to the wise: backup files!**

**Anyway, I would like to thank all of those who read this, and I hope that I haven't ruined your wait for this by taking so long to update. I admit to having re-read my story to figure out where I was going. I still remember who the final villain will be in Chamberlain's first year, but that's about it. Silly, Kailun. Write down your ideas!**

**Disclaimer: I am not J.K. Rowling, nor would I ever claim to be. The rights of the Harry Potter characters belong to her and WB. I own Chamberlain, Rosier, Avery, etc. Most of the characters you don't recognize, although their last names do belong to some of the death eaters, belong to me. The title of this chapter is derived from a quote from Batman Begins, which I also claim no rights to. I think that, too, belongs to WB.**

**Anyway, I hope you enjoy Chapter Seven!**

Chapter Seven: Devote Yourself to an Ideal

"Sure, Chamberlain. But lets first grab our books so we can study outside. You should hide under the invisibility cloak. I'll be fine for the next few hours before Avery starts spreading the word to taunt both of us to oblivion."

"You're fine with this?" I ask, quite surprised. Avery initially seemed to be the one who would be more willing to accept me as a friend than Rosier, especially after our first few class periods together. Avery had accepted me in potions and we worked well together as a team. Rosier would insult me quietly under his breath during class, but would accept any corrections I gave him in whispers, as if I were talking to myself, and he'd return the favor...

"You're eleven, Chamberlain. No one should go through this school without a friend. I know that _you'll_ be true to your words. There is something about you, Chast. Something that makes me want to trust you."

"You sure it's not my name?" I ask sarcastically.

Rosier laughs and I reach into my bag, grabbing the cloak and pulling it over my head.

"Too bad this doesn't come with a silencing charm." I shrug my shoulders and grip my wand. I've started to get used to the chill that comes with my touch to it. I briefly think about my tangential statement, wondering why I'm trying to avoid a deep conversation with Rosier. Rosier quickly grips the cloak and pulls it off my head, knowing that I haven't moved very far away yet. He hands me back the cloak. I know to be silent.

"No, Chamberlain. There are very few people in this school that I could claim to trust. I've barely known you for a month and yet you have something. Something that Avery or the Lestranges or even Quincy lack."

"Muggle parents?" I ask quickly. I'm being glib.

Aaron shakes his head. "No. Because I think you know to trust me."

I look hard at this black haired, brown eyed boy before me. His perpetual look of tiredness is gone for an instant. Our eyes connect and I feel as if I can see into his soul. I can feel his intentions. For the first time in my life, I can _feel_ truth radiating from someone.

"Yes, Rosier. I trust you."

"So that's why, Chamberlain. That's why I know I could still befriend you. Even if it's only the two of us versus the entire Slytherin house. I'd prefer to have one trustworthy friend than sixty-eight people who will turn on me the moment the opportunity presents itself."

I feel my heart warming with his every word.

"Perhaps, we can even prove something to the rest of the school. Maybe even the rest of our house." I know that he intentionally made Slytherin the bigger ordeal of the two. "We can prove what a muggle born in Slytherin can do. We can show that you can become something great. Together, Chamberlain, we'll be invincible. And not in the "we'll take over the world" way, but we'll be able to survive forever in the memories of our classmates and professors as the two who finally tore down the barrier between muggles and pure-bloods."

I feel myself quoting the words of an American movie that had come out about the same time I discovered my enrollment at Hogwarts, "But if you can make yourself more than just a man, if you can devote yourself to an ideal, and if they can't stop you, then you become something else entirely..."

"What's that?" I can't help but grin as Aaron responds in the precise way the movie played out.

"A legend, Mr. Rosier." I give off a small laugh. "It's a quote from a movie I watched recently..."

"Movie?" Rosier asks quickly. "Regardless, it is fitting..."

"I'll explain the concept of a movie to you later." I smile at Aaron and pull the cloak back over my head. "Lead on!"

"Yes, Ms. Chamberlain." He stretches out his arm, offering his elbow for me to lock my own with. I quickly slip my arm around his and we walk down the hallway together. "No one will be able to stop us now. We will be the first step towards change here; _we_ will set the example. Everyone else will just follow into our footsteps, following the path that we began to clear the way for."

I smile. "Excessive use of metaphors, there, Rosier."

He chuckles. "Sanguis Incorruptus." He murmurs the words. "I'll meet you back here in five minutes."

"Yes, sir!" I mock salute him, knowing that he can't see me. "Five minutes." I rush upstairs, making a quick sprint to my shared room. I glance around, glad not to see another one of my roommates. I toss off the cloak and flip open my bag. I stare hard at the cover of Professor Malfoy's Defense Against the Dark Art's text. I realize that Rosier and I are skipping his class, but I feel that he may understand more than anyone else. I clench my eyes shut, feeling the weariness finally begin to take its toll on me.

I see Vipera waiting for me on the bed and I hold out my wrist, which she quickly accepts as her abode. _"How did it go?"_

_"I'm not expelled and I'm officially the keeper of the Slytherin Quidditch team."_

_"You're joking. They're punishing you by rewarding you?"_

_"No, they're punishing _Rivers_ by rewarding me. Rosier and I have detention the next four Tuesdays. I have no idea why Rosier would take the detentions as well..."_

_"Because he wants your trust." _Vipera whispers. _"Strangely, you lost your trust in him as soon as you found out what Hsshkaala had done for you. He should be the one not trusting you, not the other way around. Give him a _chance_!"_

_"Yes, ma'am." _I quickly fill up my bag with my books for the rest of the day and the homework that I have to do._ "Well, I'm going to go introduce Hsshkaala and Rosier. I'm guessing that you're coming."_

_"Wouldn't miss seeing Hsshkaala again."_ Vipera hisses. _"He was very understanding of your predicament and is extraordinarily sorry for whatever harm he may have caused to you in his version of helping."_

_"I understand. I'm not angry at him. I'm just a bit confused myself with everything that is going on."_

_"Everyone is confused, Chamberlain. You're a mere child." _I silently agree with Vipera by only nodding my head. I know that she understand my agreement with her. I am only a child. Just as Rosier said earlier, no eleven year old should be friendless. Everything here is altered from what I'm used to. Some of my words have no meaning, while there are words such as muggle and mudblood that mean nothing to me, but have various implications to everyone around me.

I slip my bag over my shoulder and quickly rise. A small brown owl reaches me. I stick out my hand and catch the bird within my hand. I allow the bird to perch on my right hand, enduring the pain of the talons gripping my fingers, and remove the letter with my left.

_Chamberlain,_

_I'm sending an almost identical letter to Rosier. I understand that both of you might want to take a moment to get used to your new status in your house, but please do not skip another class after mine. I will only be forgiving this one time, so please do not make this a regular occurrence. If you skip my class again without a decent reason, I will remove you from your position as Keeper. Please, go to your next class, because I know that your teacher will wonder where you are and may skip me in the process of reporting students cutting class and go straight to McGonagall._

_On the second sheet of paper are the class notes for this class period and your first period classes. Please, do not think that this will happen every time you miss a class. The other professors and I agreed that if both you and Rosier missed a class, you probably wouldn't be able to get notes from anyone else at this current moment._

_Thank you for reading this, and I will see the two of you tomorrow._

_Sincerely,_

_Professor Draco Malfoy_

I quickly reread the letter a second and third time. I place the sheets of the note into the top flap of my bag and thank the owl by giving him a treat from the small bag I keep in the dorm. I then place the invisibility cloak back on and go down the stairs to meet Rosier.

"What took you so long?" I glance and see Rosier, his back covered in the same silvery material with the cowl pulled over his head. The cloak looks rather silly on him, but seems to be extraordinarily effective, so I bite my tongue and prevent myself from making fun of my only friend.

"Had to have a chat with Vipera and then got Malfoy's letter. Did you get one as well?"

He brusquely nods his head. I look at him, wondering why he didn't say a word. I start to open my mouth to speak again, but he quickly brings a finger to his lips and jerks his head to his right. I twist my head, peaking over my shoulder, and see one of our fellow housemates.

"Avery?" I mouth to Rosier. He shrugs and sticks out his hand in the universal "stop" signal.

"Wait here." I quickly read his lips and I hide near the portrait entrance. We can't leave the dormitory without Avery noticing the entrance magically open and close without a person going through. Rosier, in the mean time, walks up the stairs to the boys portion of the dormitory until I can't see him. A few seconds later, he's walking down the stairs without the cloak wrapped around his shoulders.

"Dan! What are you doing here?" He acts surprised, as if seeing Avery down here for the first time.

"Well, when you and mudblood didn't show up for class, I decided to try to find you."

"Does Professor Malfoy know about this?"

"He gave me permission." Avery says with an air of haughtiness.

Rosier looks around the room for any trace of me. With Avery's back turned to me, I quickly poke a hand out from underneath the cloak. Rosier catches sight of the floating limb and starts moving towards where I'm standing.

"How about we walk and talk, Danny?" Aaron quickly says. I stick my arm back into the cloak. Rosier opens the portrait and lets me through before climbing through himself. Daniel quickly follows.

"Do you know where the mudblood is, Rosier?"

"Nope. I haven't seen her since the professors escorted her out of McGonagall's office." He quickly lies. "Why?"

"I want to know why she chose us. She could have picked Howard or Quincy. They would have been a better choice. Their fathers weren't _like ours._ Chamberlain had to go for us."

"Daniel, it shouldn't matter what our fathers were. She went after us because we were about to hex her! It was more of a safety precaution than anything else. Also, look at our classes: in both Potions and Defense Against the Dark Arts the two of you sit together. In Charms and Transfiguration Chamberlain and I sit together. We also are all on the Quidditch reserves together. It's natural that she would want to befriend us."

"Why are you defending her?"

"You asked for her logic!" Rosier quickly defends himself.

"You always were the one who tried to rationalize everything." Avery quickly murmurs. "You want there to always be a reason for everything. You want to be able to understand everyone's actions and reactions. You want to understand that which cannot be translated into reason. Remember when our fathers..."

"Don't you mention my father to me, Avery." Aaron's voice suddenly gets a very cold edge. The two boys both stop their step towards the courtyard. They take two steps away from each other, and I am afraid that they are going to start throwing spells.

Avery laughs. His laugh is cold and biting. "I know that you want to protect her, Aaron. I know that you want to befriend her. You want her life to be different than the half-bloods that have come before her. You want her to understand friendship, but you can't. You can't give her friendship because none of us." Avery swings his arm in a collective gesture. "Not a single one of us in the Slytherin House, those who care about blood lines, those who rule this house, has ever known what innocence has felt like. You can't protect her because you never were able to protect yourself. You may have hidden behind your spell and history textbooks, but the truth of your father's predicament cannot leave you. Our parents were all supporters of _You-Know-Who_ and, if things were different, we'd be training right now as the next generation of death eaters."

"And you know what, Avery?" Daniel cooly responds. "I'm glad that things are as they are currently. I've learned that I cannot trust you. I feel that my placement in Slytherin was wrong now. I know that you, Goyle, the Lestranges, Wilkes, all of our pre-Hogwarts friends are in Slytherin, but I know I don't belong there right now. So I'll stay on the outside with Chamberlain."

"You're siding with the Mudblood?"

Rosier pauses, as if contemplating his doom. He closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. "Yes."

Avery stares at Rosier in shock. "You're worse than her." As soon as the words have left his lips, Avery turns his back and Rosier is standing alone in the corridor. I quickly remove the cloak.

"Are you..."

Rosier cuts me off. "I wish you weren't there for that conversation."

"Thank you, Rosier." I whisper.

He glances at me. I see sadness in his eyes, but I have nothing to say to comfort him. "Want me to explain movies now?"

He looks at me and my current silly expression. I'm looking at him with one eyebrow raised and my shoulder's shrugging. I'm trying to give off a smile, but I know that I'm just managing to look ridiculous."

He lets out a single laugh and nods his head, letting me take his mind off of Avery and any images that Avery may have brought up with his tirade. I know that I didn't understand half of what Avery said, but this wasn't the appropriate moment for me to ask Aaron what Avery meant by death eater...

"So, what is a movie, Chamberlain?"

--

We arrive at the lake much later than I had expected, but we still have enough time to see Hsshkaala and arrive at class on time. "_Vipera, do you know where Hsshkaala is?"_

Rosier stands there, looking at me as if I'm crazy. "You know, I'll never get used to your ability to talk to snakes."

"I'm sure you will." I grin at him. "It's only been a month. We still have another seven years, hopefully."

Rosier nods.

"_Just call him, Chast. He'll come to you."_

I look out over the Great Lake and close my eyes. I feel myself enter a part of my spirit that I haven't attempted to reach yet. I feel myself touching the minds of every snake creature in the vicinity. First I feel Vipera. I can sense her vitality and her conscious mind. She doesn't let me get any farther than just touching her mind, knowing who she is. I start to search through the minds, looking for something recognizable. "_Hsshkaala!_" I call out his name, hoping that he can hear me. "_Hsshkaala, come here. I want you to meet someone. I am not angry with you!"_

The Great Lake suddenly becomes disturbed. The previously calm lake begins to get larger and larger waves.

"Please tell me that the Giant Squid isn't coming to visit us..." Rosier murmurs. I punch him in the shoulder as the many-headed hydra comes from his location under the water.

"Hsshkaala, Aaron Rosier, Aaron Rosier, Hsshkaala." I briefly introduce the two of them. The hydra quirks his head to a side.

"Itsss a pleasssure to meet you, Misssster Rosssier."

I stare at Hsshkaala in shock. "You can speak in English?"

"I can, younssster. I jusssst enjoy having a humanoid who will ssssspeak to me in parsssseltongue. I'd much prefer it if you could sssspeak Hydra, but thisss musssst do." His voice is deep and strong, causing my bones to vibrate. His words don't frighten me, but give me a confidence that I didn't have previously.

"I would like to thank you, Mr. Hydra." Rosier starts, his words slow and deliberate. He's speaking so each word he says has meaning. "I appreciate the friendship that you brought to Chamberlain and me. She is the first person I've met who I know I can trust."

"I am glad that your trusssssst in her wassss not losssst by my actionsss."

"No, sir. In fact your actions are what proved to me Chamberlain's integrity. Once she realized your abilities, she did not try to place the blame, saying that those accusing her were lying. Instead she told the truth and told you to release Daniel and I from your influence. If she had been anyone else in Slytherin, I know that I couldn't expect the truth. You gave me a true friend, and I must thank you for that."

"I mussssst thank you assss well, young Rossssier. I mussssst thank you becausssse I can trussssst you."

Aaron bows.

_"Thank you, Hsshkaala."_

_"Not a problem, young Slytherin. I can promise you that you can trust this boy. His intentions are true. Please, feel free to call upon me again if you need my assistance. I'll come by every so often to check up on you through Vipera."_

_"Yes, sir."_

He slowly backs back into the Great Lake and submerges his head underneath the water. In a few minutes he's completely gone again.

"He seems nice." Rosier cooly states. "I'm kind of glad that Avery and I were those who were pranking you."

"It was meant to be." I murmur quietly, thinking of the Greek Fates, weaving the story of our lives on a loom, cutting the thread when our lives are complete. "Our friendship will be unwavering." I feel a smile touch my lips. "Want to start to Herbology, or shall we start our Defense Against the Dark Arts practice?"

Aaron grins. "Darn, Chamberlain. I didn't get to do the Astronomy homework in a History of Magic this morning!"

I roll my eyes. "The constellation was Cassiopeia."

"Thank you, Chastity!" He says in a sing-song voice. I feel myself rolling my eyes. "To Herbology!"

We start on our walk, but I feel myself needing to ask him questions. "Aaron, are you sure about this? I mean...Avery has probably informed our entire grade about how you are a blood-traitor.."

"And if he has, there is really nothing I can do about that situation."

"You're trying to back up your decision with logic, Aaron. You're trying to tell yourself that you did the right thing. I'm grateful, but I think I know how you feel right now."

"You think, Chamberlain?" Rosier's voice gets distant all of a sudden. "Most of the people in the Slytherin House I've called a friend for five years. These are the people who I spent most of my time with. We'd go to each other's homes and play Quidditch. We were together when we received our letters accepting us into Hogwarts. Avery and I even made a pact saying that we'd always look out for each other. We said that we'd always have each other backs. As soon as our father's got punished for their actions during _You-Know-Who's_ rising and return, we swore to always look out for each other and protect each other against anyone who might want to harm us. I broke that faith in Avery, so now he is giving me up to everyone else. But I won't do that to him. I may have lost his trust in me, but I want to keep my trust in him. Both of us have been through too much to just give up on each other."

"I'm sorry, Rosier..." I whisper. "I just feel as if I'm in a slightly similar boat. My entire group of friends are muggles, each of them going to a different boarding school. I told them I'd be going to this one school. The best of the best. The one that I had gotten in to and had my entire future planned for me. I'd go to that school, I'd get educated, get into Oxford and study to be a doctor. I was going to be the best in my field. I was going to be able to diagnose every case that came to me. Instead, I'm going to a magic school, something that none of my friends can know. I can't easily get into contact with any of them, and they'll become suspicious of my letters coming through my father instead of me. Slowly, I'll lose every single one of them until I'm alone. Then, I'll just have this school, and I'm not sure how much of that I can deal with."

We get closer to the Herbology building. "We're the perfect match, eh Chamberlain? The one who lost all her friends before coming here and the one who lost all his friends once attending."

"Together we're invincible?"

Rosier laughs. "Invincible."

We continue to walk in silence and move to our normal seats once we reach Herbology.

Together we're invincible, because together we create imperfection. Imperfection is incorruptible.

No one wants to disturb the purely imperfect. Currently Rosier and I aren't giving off any signs of strength. We're sitting ducks, alone in a vast pond of cliques. No one will be willing to accept us together, so we must accept each other.

Sure, we'll be up against the Slytherin House, but if they see us as weak, if they see us as broken, they won't see us as a challenge. They'll think we've already been defeated, while we're conserving our strength...

I close my eyes for a second. "Chamberlain, you need to get more sleep..." I whisper to myself before I allow tangential thoughts to get to me.

"Yes, yes you do." I open one eye and see Rosier standing next to me. "I decided I should probably move where I sit for right now. You know, until this entire _situation_ calms down a bit."

"Aaron, I'm not sure if it ever will."

"Chamberlain, there is a reason you were put into Slytherin. Slytherin is for those who are determined, who need to prove their worth. You were put into Slytherin to prove something. The sorting hat is never wrong with where he places students. You are a Slytherin at heart, and I know that you will prove to the rest of the Slytherin House that you belong here."

"Thanks, Rosier." I whisper.

"No problem, Chastity. We're friends, right?"

"Yes, Aaron." I open both of my eyes fully. "And, once you're ready, I'm here to listen. I'll always be here to listen."

He nods his head. "We're eleven, Chastity."

"We're eleven, Rosier." I confirm his statement. "And I'm enjoying my introduction to the most exciting part of my life."

Rosier shakes his head. "Muggles."

"You know you love us!" I give him a cheeky grin and reach into my bag, pulling out my parchment containing the Herbology homework. I continue to unpack my supplies as the rest of the class begins to stroll in.

Rosier follows my procedure and begins unpacking his own supplies. In the classroom there are five tables, two on each side and then one table in the back. At the front of the room is Professor Longbottom's desk, so he can easily survey everyone in the classroom. At each table, four people are supposed to sit and there are either two or four plants per table. Today there are only two, so Rosier and I quickly decided to pair up while working on this plant.

"Hello! I heard that you were working on a minor anti-allergy potion, so we'll be looking at the Anther plant. Who can tell me the relationship between an Anther plant and this potion that you've been studying?"

Goyle raises her hand and a surprised Professor Longbottom quickly class on her. "Ms. Goyle?"

"The Anther plant is used in the potion." She states the obvious.

"Um, very good, Ms. Goyle. Would anyone like to elaborate?"

Avery raises his hand. Rosier and I quickly raise ours in retaliation. After the first few days, I stopped raising my hand as frequently, hoping that it made me less of a target. Unfortunately, it wasn't my nerdiness that was causing my housemates to dislike me.

Rosier and I were afraid of what Avery might announce to the class if given the chance to speak.

"Mr. Avery. I believe you were next."

I almost cry. I lower my hand to the table, feeling defeat set in.

"It's the main ingredient in the potion. The need for the Anthar plant is that the Anthar plant naturally has various kinds of pollen, therefore when combined with the right herbs, it can create an anti-allergy medicine for a few common plant allergies."

"Good."

"I'm not done yet." Avery states evenly, not caring that he just cut off a professor. "I'd like to announce that Aaron Rosier is a blood-traitor. He should be trusted by no one!"

"Mr. Avery, I do not believe that this is an appropriate time to make such an accusation!" Professor Longbottom quickly states.

I quickly stand. "Daniel, stop this. Don't insult your friend. I'm the one who should be insulted, not Rosier. So stop it."

"That's right. See her stick up for someone other than herself?"

"Avery, Chamberlain. Please stop this!" His plea is unheard.

"See, she is silent. She doesn't have words to defend herself because that would cause her to lie. She only defends those that will defend her. She only defends those who are strong enough to protect her. But, Chamberlain, it's me and the school versus you and Rosier. Who do you think will win?"

I feel dread.

"Mr. Avery, please stop this now!"

"_Silentio!_"

Avery is silent.

I look around the room and I see one Ravenclaw, Kaitlyn Eggleston, with her wand pointed at Avery. "You really need to learn when to just _shut up_!" She shouts at him. "Please, just, please. I don't _need_ to hear you rant at Chamberlain while in this class. I don't _need_ to listen to any random lies that come out of your mouth. I'm not against Chamberlain, I have no reason to be. So that's three versus the rest of the school, and I'm sure there are others, who will be just as willing to cast a silencing spell every time you go on a tirade. "_Finite!_"

"I _demand _that she's punished!" Goyle shouts out, even though she wasn't even the one who was silenced.

"Oh, you weren't even hurt." The tall red-head rolls her eyes and looks at me.

"Thanks!" I mouth to her. She gives me a grin. My green eyes make contact with her blue ones.

"Would everyone please be _silent_?" Neville Longbottom commands. "I don't know _what_ set of this chain of events today, but could you please keep it outside of my classroom. Kaitlyn, ten points from Ravenclaw. Avery, five from Slytherin. But trust me, if you continue to insult other students, that number will grow exponentially."

Kaitlyn sits back down, looking at her hands. She's embarrassed that she even lost one point from her house. I glance at Rosier and then back to Kaitlyn.

"I'm going to talk to her after class."

"Go ahead and try. I've heard that she has the temper of...a raging bull?" Aaron asks.

I gently push him as the two of us begin working on harvesting the pollen from the plant by gently coaxing it out. "She stood up for me. That does have some importance in this school."

"She's in Ravenclaw. We have, what, barely any classes together?"

"But, as you said earlier, trust is the one important thing here. I trust her now."

"You're a very trusting person, Chamberlain."

I roll my eyes. I'm tired of Rosier's attempts to argue with me. "Okay, we're going to talk to her after class and both of us will see if we can trust her from that conversation. I don't know, I already have faith in her, so we'll just see what your response is."

"Talk to her _about what_, exactly?"

"I don't know, why she wants to stand up for us? Where she's from."

Rosier lets out a sigh. "Fine, Chamberlain. We'll _talk_ to her."

"Glad to see you're excited about this." I respond sarcastically. Our vial is almost filled with the pollen, so Rosier gently taps the side of it and whispers a sealing spell.

Professor Longbottom comes over to our table to see our work. "Good job, Rosier and Chamberlain. Five points to Slytherin."

"_Good job, Rosier and Chamberlain_." Avery says in a high-pitched voice, mimicking Professor Longbottom, but making it seem as if his voice is at least an octave higher than it actually is. "Did you check to see if it was actually even _pollen_ in their vial and not some fur from a stuffed animal?"

I close my eyes, my mind flashing back to making the sleeping draught.

"Mr. Avery, ten points from Slytherin. Please, stop your continuous whining."

Avery sits there in shock and then stops talking. He continues to remove the pollen while Goyle _tries_ to help.

Goyle _helping_ never turns out well. Avery quickly slaps her hand away from the plant and continues working on his own.

"Done, Professor!" Kaitlyn quickly states a few minutes after Rosier and I had completed.

Longbottom walks over there and looks at Kaitlyn and her partner's work. "Good job, ten points to Ravenclaw."

I roll my eyes, seeing that he's favoring them over Slytherin, but I don't care enough to make a comment.

"The four of you, take carry your vials until potions. Each of you should have enough for two potions. You can have a free for the rest of the period."

"Thank you, Professor," the four of us chorus. We quickly gather together our bags, leaving our homework on our desks as we leave. We hear the words "_Accio _homework" and see the papers flying to Professor Longbottom's hands.

"Kaitlyn, can I speak to you?" I quickly jog, catching up with the red-haired Ravenclaw.

"Yeah, sure." She tells the other Ravenclaw to continue back to the dorm.

"Thanks for sticking up for me, but why?"

The girl smiles and looks at Rosier and me. "Because I'm a half-blood. I had to deal with the taunting from your fellow Slytherins, and I know it much be just more hellish for you. So, I have to protect you. If I don't, I'm supporting any attacks against myself."

Rosier smiles. "I'm sorry, Eggleston, for anything I may have said to you in the first few weeks."

"Rosier..." Kaitlyn rolls her eyes. "Trust me, you're not an starter of fights. You were just part of the group. Don't think anything about it. Plus, you've been a lot kinder since Chamberlain and you became friends. What set Avery off?"

"Long story..." I whisper.

She smiles. "I have time."

Aaron sticks out his hand and the two of us place our hand on top of his. "Friends?" Rosier asks.

"Until..." I cut off Kaitlyn.

"Forever." I whisper the word. The other two nod their heads. We slowly separate our wand arms, my left arm for Rosier and me and Kaitlyn's right.

"I was expecting an electric charge or something," Kaitlyn jokes. "I don't know, I just haven't gotten used to all of this wizardry stuff yet." She looks at our shocked expressions. "I'm a half-blood, my father didn't tell my mother until my letter from Hogwarts arrived. I grew up without Quidditch or Chocolate Frogs..." She smiles. "So, what happened between you and Avery?"

"I can speak to snakes." I admit to this fact rather quickly. "Which is something that most wizards can't do. It's not exactly normal and, well, I kind of caused a hydra to cast a friendship spell on Rosier and Avery. Both of them found out and, as you can see, Rosier still is my friend and Avery rejected my friendship."

Kaitlyn stares at me in shock. "You can _talk_ to _snakes_?"

"Yeah."

"Like, garden snakes or pythons."

"As long as it's snake-like, I can talk to it."

"Oh, that's sweet. I thought it was strange when I could talk to bloody ravens when I was younger. I'm glad I'm not the only crazy one here."

"You talk to _birds_?" Rosier looks at her in shock.

"No, not birds. Ravens. There's a difference. You know, one is a whole classification, while the other is just a single species..."

Rosier rolls his eyes at Kaitlyn's antics. "I've never heard of anyone talking to birds..." He looks at Kaitlyn's expression, "ravens before."

"I know, it's kind of weird. Ever watched a movie where there is a snake in it, and you can understand what it's saying and you think to yourself "what, that line didn't make any sense at all". Well, that happened to me a lot while watching movies that had ravens in it."

I roll my eyes and laugh.

"I'm joking you two. But seriously, snakes? That's awesome."

"I _knew_ there wasn't such a thing as talking to ravens..." Rosier mutters to himself.

"Is he always like that?" Kaitlyn asks.

"Yeah, kind of."

"That could get annoying." She rolls her eyes. "Come on, lets finish up homework, then we can continue to get to know each other more..."

**End of Chapter 7**

**Sorry again for this **_**actually**_** taking absolutely forever to be updated. I'm hoping that you're not displeased with the result. Next chapter I think I'm going to do Halloween or add a new creature. Not quite sure yet : P. I'll try to update soon, but you never know.**

**Response time:**

**To IAMaMUDBLOOD: **_Hehe, I love the sarcasm as well. When someone asks me "can I have a cookie", my response always is "no". I mean, the bucket of cookies is open, I brought it to school, do you _think_ you can have a cookie? _Yes _you can, just take the stupid cookie. So I always respond sarcastically, they look at me if I'm crazy. Then I have to calmly say "Yes, you can have a cookie...". Yeah, that was kind of tangential. Well, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. : )_

**To and in kisses-consume:**_ Yeah, being swamped. I'm just glad it's now the summer. I kind of failed at doing any plans for my summer this year. I was supposed to go to China, but that didn't turn out so well. Then I was supposed to get a job, but that didn't happen either. I hope that your trip turned out well or will turn out well. Go music! I love the flute, but I'll probably stop next year since I won't make the college orchestra. Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed. I'll try to get the next chapter up sooner. : P_

**To gethsemane342:** _Glad it's better than your expectations. Thanks for the advice on the writing. I'll try to correct it, but I'll probably have issues with it. Once I finish the major parts of my story, I will read your muggle in Slytherin story. I just don't want to accidently steal any of your ideas. (Not that I'm accusing you of anything, I just know that I might see a concept and think "oh, that's a good idea". Especially since the premise of our two stories is different. : P) Thanks for reading and, if you continue, I hope that you enjoy this new chapter._

**Thanks again to everyone who read and reviewed. Or just read. Please feel free to give me any advice. If you have any suggestions for a new summery, feel free to place them here. I'll try to update soon, since this is my summer vacation, but expect at least a week wait since I'm meeting with friends for the next few days. : )**

**Anyway, lots of love!**

**Li Kailun**


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